For Freya Bell, earning her first senior start for Wales against South Africa last Friday night was the culmination of a trip that started later than most.
“I’m a little late,” she admitted. “When I was younger, I played all sports except rugby.
“I grew up in a very sporting family so I played football, netball, cricket, but my dad and my brother are big rugby fans so I just wanted to try my best.”
At 16, Bell decided to stick with rugby. What followed was a rapid ascent through the Welsh road, but there was one person who had always dreamed of seeing her represent Wales.
“My grandmother was the biggest Welsh supporter all the way. She always wanted me to play for Wales, and while she’s no longer with us, I always wanted her to be proud.”
“When I had the chance to get on the Welsh road, I absolutely jumped at it and have never looked back.”
Now, standing in a Wales shirt and sharing the field with the players she grew up with, Bell is beginning to realize just how far that decision has taken her.
With Wales starting WXV Global Series Capping the campaign with an impressive 50-19 win against the Springbok Women at Cardiff Arms Park, there could hardly have been a more memorable setting for her first start.
“It was such a surreal game,” she said.
“We had such confidence. When we got on the court, we all just supported each other from start to finish, so the win was so special.
“I was really grateful to start first. I feel as a team, we built a lot of confidence into that game, and it was nice to see the hard work in pre-season pay off and the coaches were confident enough to back some of us younger players coming in.”
For the 21-year-old, the occasion was made even more special by the presence of several familiar faces in the Wales squad.
Bell’s Cardiff Met teammates, Maisie Davies, Amy Williams, Seren Singleton and Elan Jones, have been part of her development away from the international stage, making the prospect of sharing the Wales jersey with them all the more meaningful.
“It was really special to share the court with them. We’ve all grown so much from when we started at university to now.
“We would never have thought a few years ago when we played together for the under-20s that we would all be playing together in a full Welsh kit.
“To be able to play side-by-side is so special, and it just shows the younger girls, it’s so doable, and it’s within striking distance of everyone.”
Bella’s own journey to Cardiff Met came after playing for Horsham and Sussex at county level before earning a place at Harlequins’ center of excellence.
Keen to combine a university with a strong rugby environment, Cardiff Met offered the opportunity to continue development while keeping its Welsh ambitions within reach.
One of the most exciting aspects of Bella’s game against South Africa was something relatively new for her at international level: kicking. She managed more than five conversions in Wales’ eight-try win over the Springbok Women in their WXV Global Series finale.
“Hitting was an exciting, new thing, but I’ve been working on it in the pre-season and it was a relief to get my first at-bat.
“I’ve always enjoyed shooting, so now I’m just trying to show it in my game and take it where I can. It’s nice that the team and the coaches support me to show it,” she explained.
Her first invitation to Guinness Women’s 2025 Six Nations it came unexpectedly and during what she described as a “busy time”. Since then, playing in Wales’ 34-17 win over the Barbarians in June before completing a full pre-season with the national team has allowed her to establish herself in the group.
“I feel like we’ve just built so many relationships and I feel a lot more confident now.”
One of those connections is with center Courtney Keight.
“When I stepped on the court with Courtney Keight as my 13-year-old, we have a strong bond, so I felt comfortable, and I feel like that shows in the game because you’re more comfortable and confident,” she added.
That growing confidence will be tested again this weekend when Wales face the team USA Women’s Eagles in Cardiff.
The Americans arrive after a 40-36 victory Ireland in Dublin and are now sixth in the World Rugby rankings, five places above Wales who climbed to 11th after their win over South Africa.
For Bell, however, the focus is not on the rankings, but on maintaining the momentum Wales have built.
“I can’t wait for the weekend. It’s a really good energy around and we all have a lot of faith in each other. We just need to back up what we did on Friday and stick to our processes and hopefully the result will come.”
“Obviously the USA are ranked higher than us, so it’s going to be a challenge, but it should be a really good opportunity.
“The US and South Africa have different strengths, so I think now we have to put Friday aside and look at this weekend and just go for it.”
Victory in South Africa may have ended Wales’ 14-month wait for a Test win, but the 21-year-old center is already looking ahead, with the US and Japan providing further opportunities for the development of this young side.
“We got the win and we’re very happy with that, but we still have a lot to work on and things to take into this game.
“I can’t wait for the rest of the WXV Global Series. These next few games will be good for us to continue to build on what we’ve already been working on.”
“We just want to show that we want to keep winning,” she concluded with a big smile on her face.
Sean Lynn’s side will face the Eagles at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday 26th September.
