The Lightning have named a squad full of Welsh internationals and a host of new young talent to play the best in Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
The Lightning will play all their homes games at Ystrad Mynach and will train there and Cardiff Met for this campaign.
Welsh internationals Kerin Lake, Carys Williams-Morris, Bryonie King, Meg Davies, Jenni Scoble, Maisie Davies, Molly Reardon, Alaw Pyrs, Catherine , Sian Jones and Gwennan Hopkins are all named in the squad.
Lake and Williams Morris are both new to the tournament and joined by fellow new faces, Cana Williams, Dali Hopkins, Danyelle, Katherine Baverstock, Catrin Stewart, Lily Terry, Lowri Davies and Courtney Greenway.
Three players named Dali Hopkins, Lowri Davies and Courtney Greenway were all selected after attending the WRU’s Open Trial for the tournament at the National Centre of Excellence.
The Lightning kick of their campaign with two festive Derbies against Welsh rivals Brython Thunder in December.
Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin, Gwalia Lightning Head coach, said: “We have selected a squad with a good mix of international experience and new talent that has earned the right to compete at this level.
“The experience of Kerin Lake and Carys Williams Morris will provide some real know how and we are expecting them to lead on and off the field. The likes of Molly Reardon and Gwennan Hopkins really stood out last season and earned international recognition with Wales in the Six Nations and will bring all of that experience to the tournament.
“We have some new faces, and they deserve to be selected, and we look forward to them making the most of the opportunity they have been given to play in what promises to be an exciting Celtic Challenge campaign.”
The Celtic Challenge is the new cross-border competition between two Welsh sides, two Irish teams and two Scottish clubs and opens with two Welsh Derbies in Wales.
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- Round 1: Gwalia Lightning v Brython Thunder, Ystrad Mynach, Saturday, December 21st (KO: 2.30pm)
- Round 2: Brython Thunder v Gwalia Lightning, Parc Y Scarlets, Saturday, December 28th (KO: 2.30pm)
