The 22-year-old Swansea-born, but Auckland raised, Williams was called into the Wales World Cup squad in her now homeland last year after Alisha Butchers was ruled out.
She had previously trained with Ioan Cunningham’s squad for three weeks last summer and was perfectly placed to provide cover during the tournament. Now she is coming ‘home’ to Wales to try to win a cap.
Williams has played a high level of rugby in New Zealand, captaining the North Harbour side in the Farah Palmer Cup in 2020 and 2021, and she also represented New Zealand in the Defence Rugby World Cup. She has been a warfare officer in the New Zealand Navy.
She comes into the back row for the third game in the new Celtic Challenge competition that has been inaugurated this season to provide a stepping-stone between club rugby and the international stage for the women players in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Wales won the first game against The Thistles, 29-27 before going down 27-26 to the Combined Provinces in the Welsh capital last month
“We’ve had two very close games to date and we were disappointed not to beat the Irish side. We need to start as we finished in that game. We showed a lot of things we had been working on in that game,” said Wales coach Mike Hill.
“We need to be a bit more clinical against a Scottish team we know will want to play a lot more. They will challenge us by moving the ball.
“We still have a game to go in Ireland, but this has been an invaluable exercise for the players and the selectors. We’ve seen 10 players come through this process and go on to train with the senior side and there are definitely future internationals in this group.
“It has been a definite step-up from domestic club rugby in Wales and gives a chance to those players who are aspirational to show what they can do.”
Hill has introduced Williams into his back row and has Bristol Bears scrum half Meg Davies starting in the No 9 shirt. Caitlin Lewis comes in on the wing along with World Cup star Lisa Neumann.
Welsh Development XV: Leanne Burnell (Pontyclun Falcons); Lisa Neumann (Gloucester-Hartpury), Molly Philpott (Llandaff North / Cardiff), Jenna De Vera (Scarlets U18s/ Burry Port), Caitlin Lewis (Gloucester-Hartpury); Niamh Terry (Exeter Chiefs), Meg Davies (Bristol Bears); Rosie Carr (Pontyclun Falcons/ Cardiff Met), Kat Evans (Saracens), Dani Dinapoli (Cheltenham Tigers), Charlie Mundy (Pontyclun Falcons), Abbie Fleming (Exeter Chiefs), Katie Jenkins (Pontyclun Falcons), Kira Philpott (Llandaff North), Kate Williams (Unattached)
Replacements: Tara Finnegan (Pontyclun Falcons), Dali Hopkins (Ospreys U18s/ Greyhounds), Abbey Constable (Gloucester-Hartpury / Cheltenham Tigers), Mel Gnojek (Seven Sisters), Molly Reardon (Dragons), Beth Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Anwen Owen (Nelson Belles / Bristol Bears)
