Wales lose Donna Rose and two others to injury ahead of WXV Global Series opener

Wales will begin their WXV Global Series campaign without three players after head coach Sean Lynn confirmed that prop Donna Rose, Kelsie Webster and Hanna Tudor have all been ruled out of the team’s four forthcoming fixtures, starting against South Africa at Cardiff Arms Park.

Rose is the most significant loss. The 35-year-old loosehead, who has earned 42 caps since 2022 and helped Saracens to a Premiership Women’s Rugby title last season, started all five of Wales’ Guinness Women’s Six Nations matches earlier this year. She is sidelined with an ankle injury. Webster is nursing a hand problem, while Tudor is out with a foot injury. Neither Webster nor Tudor has been capped at Test level, though Webster did start Wales’ 34-17 win over the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium in London.

Tudor, currently unattached to a club, represented Great Britain at HSBC SVNS World Championship events in Valladolid and Bordeaux before the team were relegated to HSBC SVNS 2, and previously won caps for Wales Under-20.

Called into Lynn’s squad in their place are scrum-half Sian Jones, centre Savannah Picton-Powell and wing Nia Fajeyisan. Jones recently re-signed with Gloucester Hartpury in the JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby. Picton-Powell and Fajeyisan have both featured for Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning respectively in the Celtic Challenge. Fajeyisan also represented Great Britain Women’s Sevens in the HSBC SVNS Series this season before a separate injury with Gwalia Lightning ended her campaign in December.

Beyond the South Africa fixture, Wales are also scheduled to face the USA Women’s Eagles before a two-match tour of Japan. The 13th-ranked side in the world are looking to end a winless run stretching back to July 2025.

For the WXV Global Series campaign, Alex Callender and Kate Williams have been confirmed as co-captains.