One of the best players in the world, Joyce played at the 2017 World Cup in Ireland and is a veteran of two Olympic Sevens campaigns with Team GB. On both occasions they finished fourth, but the global experience she learned in Rio and Tokyo will be of huge benefit this week.
Siwan Lillicrap’s Welsh side open their account against Scotland on Sunday morning at the Semenoff Stadium in Whangarei, before tackling host nation New Zealand and Australia. Joyce is hoping for a fast and nerve-free start.
“Getting selected for this World Cup was the easy part, now comes the hard part and putting in some good performances in New Zealand,” said Joyce.
“There is going to be pressure on us, but my advice to everyone will be to just enjoy the experience. We’ll be in New Zealand and the girls might get a bit flustered or overwhelmed, but we have to embrace every moment.
“The happier and more relaxed we are on the pitch, the better we will perform. There are exciting girls coming through and there is a bundle of energy in this squad, which is what we need.”
While Joyce is heading to play in her second World Cup, there are others who are playing in their third and fourth tournaments. That experience, along with Joyce’s two Olympic trips, will prove invaluable when the pressure comes on over the next few weeks.
“We learned a huge amount from our two warm-up games against Canada and England, especially about each other and our culture,” added Joyce.
“Being professional has given us the chance to work on things we wouldn’t have had time to do in the past. It has definitely given us an edge.
“We are in the best place possible as individuals and we are the strongest, fittest and fastest we have ever been. Now we have to come together to put in good performances.
Jasmine Joyce during training
“We are living the dream. What more could you want as a rugby player than to be playing in a World Cup in New Zealand.”
Now back to full fitness after undergoing surgery on her shoulder, Joyce will be one of Wales’ biggest attacking weapons if they can get the ball in her hands on the wing.
“I don’t feel as though I’ve been injured. It is like I’ve never had surgery, so I’m back to it. I was confident I had enough time to make the World Cup,” she added.
“I just want to get the ball in my hands and as often as possible and I’m really excited to see what these girls can do after nine months as professionals. As a back three we are trying to get more touches in the game – we want to light up the World Cup.”
