Wales Under-23s gather for inaugural women’s camp

Image source, FAWImage caption, Tianna Teisar spent a loan spell at Gwalia United during the 2023-24 season

There was a familiar buzz in the air at the Vale Resort in Cardiff for the start of a new international camp.

Laughter echoed down the corridors as players caught up, exchanged hugs, and proudly wore their red Welsh kit.

In many ways, it felt remarkably like the first day of a new school term – reuniting old friends, meeting new classmates, and stepping into an exciting new chapter.

It was the birth of the first-ever Wales Women's under-23 squad, gathering for an historic training camp that – it is hoped – will bridge a long-standing gap in Welsh football's female pathway.

For years, former players, fans, and campaigners have been vocal on the need for an under-23 setup. The leap from the youth game to the world of senior international football is a chasm that Wales' young talent has long had to cross without a bridge from under-19 level.

And with the women's game exploding in popularity over the last decade, it seems that transition has become increasingly difficult.

"Bridging that gap from the under-19s to the seniors is a big ask for players to jump straight there," explains Nia Davies, coach of the new under-23 team.

"Everyone has their own journey. Some need a little bit more time, and if we didn't have this 23's, it could be that we lose them. We've probably done that in the past with some individuals, but there are too many to let go now."

Forward Tianna Teisar, who has already tasted senior squad experience herself, echoes that sentiment from a player's perspective.

"Sometimes the jump from under-19s to the seniors can be big, or a lot of players develop at different ages," said the 21-year-old Watford player.

"With the addition of the under-23’s, it gives you that extra age group so you don't lose players in that gap where they might fall out of the system or even stop playing."

Those within the Football Association of Wales (FAW) say the decision wasn't just about preserving talent; it was also driven by a deeper player pool.

"You're seeing girls play a lot younger and a lot more frequently," Davies added, pointing to Wales' first ever finals appearance at Euro 2025 as a catalyst.

"The Euros were massive to get girls interested in football.

"Over the last five or six years, the growth means we've got a bigger talent pool. We're still a small nation, but this is the prime opportunity to start something."

Image source, FAWImage caption, Ffion Bowen (right) has been included in Wales' Under-23 squad

This new setup doesn't come for free.

A brand-new national squad requires significant financial investment and strategic planning.

The FAW‘s Chief Football Officer, Dave Adams, stresses that while pressure from rival nations grew over the past two years – especially with Scotland and England launching similar setups – Wales' move has had to be carefully calculated.

Funding for the programme relies on central Uefa distributions from broadcast and television rights across 11 Welsh national teams, combined with domestic reinvestment, including support from National Lottery funding.

"It has to be a strategic decision because you're spending important resources," Adams explains.

"We've put huge investment into the women's team over the last five years, including over half a million pounds a year into our 11-to-16 girls' regional programme.

"But you have to start from the very ground up. If you want to be competitive in a World Cup in nine years' time, you can't just pump money into the top end – you have to build the whole system."

Beyond long-term development, the under-23 setup will serve another crucial, immediate purpose – protecting dual-nationality talent from being lured away by rival nations such as England.

"When you put a 16- or 17-year-old player in an under-23 squad, you're showing intent," says Adams.

"We're saying: 'We really value you here, we want you to play for Wales in the future.'

"Knowing full well that England have won major tournaments and have huge investment, we have to find a way in our own way to offer something where girls can see a viable option in Wales for their development."

Image source, FAWImage caption, Nia Davies is head coach of Wales women's Under-19 side

Because Uefa does not yet run an official, competitive European tournament for under-23 women's teams, the FAW is crafting its own calendar of games and camps.

This week's inaugural camp will culminate on Wednesday with a behind-closed-doors friendly against English WSL2 side Watford, whose head of women's football is ex-Wales striker Helen Ward.

"We knew it would be very difficult to get an international team in so early in the window," Davies reveals.

"So we reached out to Watford first, and Helen Ward wanted that connection.

"They came back and said yes straight away. It's behind closed doors so we can try new things and see players we haven't seen for a while."

While the future calendar remains flexible and dependent on broader senior team targets, Adams believes official Uefa and Fifa international tournaments for under-23’s are only a matter of time as European football continues to invest equally in the women's game.

"I think it will come 100%," said Adams.

"If you want to actually develop this system and make it actually feel and look equal [to the men’s game], there has to be that investment centrally from Uefa and from Fifa into the member associations, in prize money, in broadcast money, in commercial revenue.

“It's all very well saying that the pressure is on the member associations to have this equality model, but it also needs to be recognised at the very top level to sanction and to support these programmes."

The seamless alignment between youth and senior football was on full display at the Vale Resort on day one.

Running simultaneously alongside the under-23 camp was Rhian Wilkinson's senior camp, in preparation for the World Cup play-off matches against Albania.

Schedules have been synchronized so that Wilkinson and her coaching staff can step out onto the touchline and observe the under-23 sessions directly.

"It's cool that you can walk down the corridor and see the senior players and the senior manager," Teisar says.

"They're keeping an eye on the sessions. It's a good opportunity for the 23's to showcase their talent because they are going to be the future for Wales."

For Adams, the structural goal for Welsh football is clear and ambitious: graduate at least two players per season into the senior national teams – double the European average.

With an eye on major tournament qualification goals, building a younger, more dynamic player profile starts now:

"Our women's national team is at a certain age profile," he says.

"Part of our succession planning strategy is to make sure our team becomes younger, more athletic, and more dynamic. The way you achieve that is by putting young players in, giving them the opportunity to develop, and nurturing them so they can step up and help us long-term."