Wales Women are playing a key role in the growth of the game, with the Welsh FA focused on boosting female involvement across all levels. As the team inspires more players and fans, improved investment and resources are helping to remove barriers and build a stronger future for women’s football.
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00:00Now, the rise of the Wales women's national team has been a remarkable journey, with steady progress, propelling them onto the international stage.
00:11In recent years, they've achieved significant milestones from improving their World Cup qualifications to consistently competing at the highest levels of European football.
00:20Under the leadership of their dedicated coaching staff, the team has developed a strong core of talent, bringing experienced players with rising stars.
00:30We spoke about their growth, which has not only elevated the profile of women's football in Wales, but also inspired future generations of players to follow in their footsteps.
00:40Looking at the Wales women's national football team, well, they actually got a really good draw in their most recent outing against Sweden, one of the world's best teams in women's football, one while it finished there.
00:57And obviously, we could talk for ages about the Lionesses in English football and what they have done for the English women's game.
01:03If you look at the Wales game, yes, it's perhaps not quite as advanced or quite the same stage as England is.
01:09But certainly getting a draw against a team of that calibre stands them in good stead for the future and to what they can become.
01:16Because, of course, they've seen the men go from international minnows to a side who are regularly competing to qualify for major tournaments.
01:24And yes, the men's game is different, but it shows it can be done for a nation with only a small population like Wales do.
01:32So looking at that result, obviously in isolation, it's great.
01:36But what does it mean just in general for Welsh women's football?
01:41Yeah, as you say, it's massive.
01:42And I think, you know, you compare it to the Lionesses and their sort of journey to the very, very top of women's football, you know, really competing at the top.
01:52I mean, Wales, with the smaller talent pool that it has, they're probably ahead of the Lionesses if you think about it in that sort of sense.
01:59You know, the Lionesses have so many top WSL teams to choose from, these players they've produced from the likes of, you know, Arsenal, Man United.
02:08These are the real top women's sides.
02:11Chelsea as well, winning so many league titles.
02:14In terms of Wales football, it's huge.
02:16It's something that the Welsh FA have sort of rejigged over the last few years to really get the best out of them.
02:23You know, firstly, grassroots and secondly, the women's game.
02:26And I think these are two things that they're really working on getting to the very, very top.
02:30As I say, the confidence, the belief behind her group of girls is unbelievable.
02:35You know, she believes they can compete constantly against the world's best teams.
02:39So, yes, it's all to be seen in the summer, you know, the Euros.
02:43But the attitude reflects a real shift in the mindset of Wales and the Welsh team as well.
02:48I mean, you look as far as Craig Bellamy for the men's team and the sort of confidence he has and the aspects and aspirations he has for his Wales men's team.
02:59So, I think as a whole, as a bigger picture, the Welsh FA is really improving the confidence, the belief, the ambitions is going up a notch.
03:10And it's really exciting if you're following football in terms of Wales and these players coming into these major tournaments.
03:18So, as I say, all to be seen in the summer.
03:21Here's what Rhianne Wilkinson had to say about her side.
03:25And, you know, as I say, she expresses so much confidence and it's great to see.
03:30So, we'll see what she has to say.
03:32And, you know, obviously coming into the Euros in the summer, it's a real promising time to be following Wales.
03:38What people have done in the past and we've got to be appreciative of the position that we're in now.
03:47And we need to keep constantly bashing down those barriers too for those to come and take our shirts later on.
03:56I mean, even we had a meeting yesterday and there's more staff than there are players.
04:01So, we've just increased everything off the pitch.
04:05We're equal to the men now and we're equal in many ways, not just equal pair.
04:12You know, our media team and our medical team, everything, our coaching staff, everything off the pitch is equal to the men's.
04:22And we've just improved so many different things along the way, even in that 10-year gap.
04:28And, you know, it's just making it as professional an environment as possible.
04:31And it has helped that the game as a whole is more professional now.
04:37And we've got players coming in who are at a professional level, professional club, day in, day out.
04:42And we know what to expect.