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Alex Callender Ready For WXV As Wales’ Player Of The Year

Alex Callender Ready For WXV2 As Wales’ Player Of The Year

David Parsons24 September 2024

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Flanker Alex Callender has been named as the Welsh Rugby Writers’ Association Wales Women’s Player of the Year. Callender, who has been capped 38-times by Wales, was on the shortlist with Wales captain Hannah Jones and GB Seven Olympian Jasmine Joyce.

By David Parsons

Flanker Alex Callender has been named as the Welsh Rugby Writers’ Association Wales Women’s Player of the Year.

Callender, who has been capped 38-times by Wales, was on the shortlist with Wales captain Hannah Jones and GB Seven Olympian Jasmine Joyce.

Callender was presented with the award before she left with Wales for WXV2 in South Africa.

Wales recorded a first historic win over Australia on Friday night at Rodney Parade and will face the Wallaroos again in Cape Town on Saturday, September 29th.

Calendar captained Brython Thunder in the Celtic Challenge before signing for Harlequins with the 2025 World Cup in England on the horizon.

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Callender is the third player to win the Wales Women’s Rugby Player of the Year Award selected by the WRWA and follows in the footsteps of Alisha Butchers and Sisilia Tuipulotu.

“It’s a huge honour,” said Callender.

“To follow in the footsteps of all the amazing rugby players who have won it before me is very surreal. I looked at Alisha Butchers and Sisilia Tuipulotu winning this in the last couple of years and I never thought it would happen to me. It’s really exciting and I’m very honoured.

“It was a good season for me. With the team the Six Nations wasn’t a real success and we want to back that up this season. Personally, it was a good season and I’m excited to kick on from that now.

“I know my mum will be looking down on me now with pride. That’s why I play my rugby – she’s my why. I think she’d be buzzing and excited I’ve given everything to rugby and got this reward back.

“Hopefully I can kick on from this. The family will be proud and will be chuffed. They’re always my No 1 supporters. They’ll be buzzing – probably more buzzing than me!”

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Callender now faces three major Test matches with Wales over a three-week period against Australia, Italy and Japan in Cape Town.

“Obviously, we want to win and it’s a competition we think we can win,” said Callender.

“The win over Australia on Saturday was a really big confidence booster for us going into this tournament. We want to kick on from that. Ultimately, we want to win these games and compete in the matches as well.

“When you play against the best, that’s how you get the best out of yourselves as well. To play against England, New Zealand and France will only make us better. They’re the top three teams in the world. Hopefully we can be competitors for this WXV2 title.”

Alex Callender Is Award Winner To Cap Huge Weekend For Wales

Wales face a packed year, with WXV2, followed by a Six Nations and the 2025 World Cup in England in a season. There is now also the prosect of a British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

“We’ve never had that opportunity as women’s players before so to have it now is just unbelievable,” said Callender.

“A lot of the girls here are striving for that – to put on that Lions jersey. Our focus is on the World Cup next year but maybe some individuals are thinking about that Lions for further afield. For us it’s about doing a job first at the WXV2 and then the World Cup.”