ABERAERON rugby star Sioned Harries has been selected for the sevens squad that will represent Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast from 4-15 April.

The 28 year-old has plenty of experience at international level, having been capped at national level in both the 15 a-side and sevens codes, and having also competed at the 2010 and 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cups.

Harries, who is from Pennant and was educated at Ysgol Aberaeron, before moving on to Cardiff Metropolitan University, plays in the back row for Whitland Ladies, and also represents the Scarlets Women.

It caps a great year for the PE teacher, who earned her 50th cap for Wales against England in the second round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations Championship.

“It has been a very proud couple of weeks for me, my family and friends,” she said. “Winning my 50th cap within the Six Nations and playing in the Principality Stadium was an absolute honour.

“To now be in Team Wales’ rugby sevens squad for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia is also unbelievable.”

Harries is one of five players selected who are involved in Wales’ Women’s Six Nations campaign, along with Alisha Butchers, Jasmine Joyce, Hannah Jones (Scarlets), and Elinor Snowsill (Dragons).

Harries has benefitted from the ‘One Programme’ approach taken by Wales Women, which allows certain players to spend time in both sevens and 15s camps.

Head coach Nick Wakley will have the benefit of a number of leaders in his squad, including the experienced Philippa Tuttiett, captain of Cardiff Blues; two members of the Armed Forces in Army Rugby Union captain Gemma Rowland and the RAF’s Sian Williams (both Dragons); and Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys), who won the most recent of her 46 caps in last year’s Women’s Sevens World Cup.

Powell-Hughes is one of a quartet of players with over 40 caps to their name, along with Butchers, Harries and Snowsill, for women’s sevens’ first appearance in the Games in its 88-year existence.

Other sevens specialists selected will include Sinead Breeze and Laurie Harries, with Kayleigh Powell (Ospreys) the youngest in the side at 18 years of age.

The sevens will be held at the 27,500-capacity Robina Stadium from 13-15 April.

Wales have been drawn in a competitive Pool B with Australia, Fiji and England.

The Wales Women squad acquainted themselves with the conditions on the Gold Coast by participating in Brisbane’s Super 7s competition in early February. Before that, they were in action in Dubai’s invitational competition in December.

Nick Wakley, Women’s Sevens head coach, said: “We’re very excited and honoured to be representing Team Wales next month. In regards to the ‘One Programme’ approach through the Women’s Six Nations campaign, Commonwealth Games and World Series Qualifier preparation, we have had our players exposed to international rugby week in, week out.

“We have been building up to these tournaments for two years and we have developed a real mental toughness which will be tested in the two weeks post-Six Nations to get us back up to speed.”

Prior to travelling to the Gold Coast, Wales will compete in the Hong Kong Sevens (6-8 April) as they try to qualify for next year’s World Rugby Sevens Series.

Team Wales’ Women’s Sevens squad: Alisha Butchers; Elinor Snowsill; Gemma Rowland; Hannah Jones; Jasmine Joyce; Kayleigh Powell; Laurie Harries; Philippa Tuttiett (c); Shona Powell-Hughes; Sian Williams; Sinead Breeze; Sioned Harries.