Burgess believes Women's Summer Series can bridge gap for younger players

By Sebastian Barrett

Wales coach Liza Burgess believes the inaugural Women's Summer Series tournament is helping to bridge the gap for young players looking to make the step up to senior rugby.

The first ever women’s U20s competition of its kind runs from 4th-14th July as Wales take on France, England, and Italy in Parma across three mouth-watering matchdays as the next generation of stars begin their international journey.

The world-renowned opera house, Teatro Regio di Parma, was the setting for the tournament launch – with its Neoclassical architecture and Corinthian columns a pleasing contrast between the old and new – and Burgess believes an exciting new chapter awaits her young stars.

“Preparation has gone well back home so to be here in Italy is fantastic,” said Burgess, a World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee.

“We’re excited about tomorrow. It’s huge. It’s the inaugural U20s tournament, so for these girls and this age group, it’s a fantastic stepping stone. The travel, the preparation for match day, the recovery, that process of actually being away is excellent preparation for them. We’ve got some very promising players in this group.”

One of those is co-captain Jess Rogers, who hails from the Mumbles. “Our aim is to progress as a team and learn from this series,” said the flanker, who has featured for Ospreys U18s this year. “We’ve got a lot of supporters coming out and they’re all really proud of us being out here representing our country.”

When asked who the fans should keep an eye out for in the Wales team, Rogers named her co-captain, centre Jenna de Vera: “Jenna is a loose cannon. She can do everything, and you really don’t know what she’s going to do.”

Joining an incredible summer of sport, the series stands to showcase the future stars of the international women’s game.

Round one kicks off on Thursday 4th July, with France taking on Wales, before England face Ireland, with Italy hosting Scotland in the late kick-off. The remaining matchdays will take place on the 9th and 14th of July.

To celebrate the debut of soon-to-be stars of the game, the Women’s Summer Series will recognise the best individual performer from each team with a new Most Valuable Player Award (MVP).

Fans all over the world will be able to follow all the action, via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations U20 YouTube channel, with commentary in English (and Italian for the matches featuring Italy). Supporting coverage will also be provided across the dedicated Six Nations U20 social media channels.

Julie Paterson, Six Nations Chief of Rugby, said of the Women’s Summer Series: “This is a new and exciting development opportunity for young players, coaches, and officials to gain experience on the international stage. As a key strategic pillar of Six Nations Rugby, its unions and federations, the intention is to nurture the growth of the women’s game in a sustainable and engaging way for the players.

“The addition of the Women’s Summer Series, as a new step on the development pathway, is also part of the commitment to give these athletes a clear line of sight on when, where and how they can gain international experience and honours.”

The Women’s Summer Series is available to fans all over the world via exclusive coverage on the Six Nations U20 YouTube channels, with supporting coverage across dedicated U20 Six Nations social media channels.