Former Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap has been appointed as the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) head of women's coaching and development. In this new role, Lillicrap will be responsible for delivering an aligned coaching and development system across the women's performance pathway for players aged between 14 and 24.
Lillicrap, who earned 51 caps for Wales, retired from international rugby in 2022. Since then, she has worked as the WRU's pathway manager and women's under-18s head coach. Her previous experience includes overseeing player development centres across Wales.
Rhys Long, the WRU's technical director, stated that this is a key appointment for the WRU, acknowledging the rapid growth in playing numbers and coaches within the women's game in Wales. Lillicrap expressed her excitement to bring her passion, knowledge, and experience to this new chapter of developing the women's and girls' pathway.