Liliana Podpadec puts in the hard yards at training
Newcomer Liliana happy to learn the ropes
Uncapped Wales Women squad member Liliana Podpadec is thrilled to be mixing it with seasoned internationals in her quest for a Wales cap this autumn.
The Llandaff North captain and second row was selected in the squad for Wales Women’s three November Tests after standing out in club performances and at the recent Talent ID Day organised to identify and develop potential international players.
“It’s a big step up coming from Welsh club rugby, especially after such a long lay-off, but I’m treating every day and every training session as a learning opportunity. I’ve got a long way to go personally, especially in terms of my confidence but just to be able to train consistently with these players is helping me a lot,” she said.
Having trained with the squad for a few weeks, there couldn’t be much more of a learning curve than a training game against the Black Ferns.
“It was an amazing experience. New Zealand are the best team in the world, not many people get to come up against them in a match scenario. I’ve taken a lot from that day, things I can work on to get better.”
After playing rugby for home club Winsombe and Somerset as a teenager, Liliana represented Cardiff Blues Ladies for a number of years while at Cardiff University, played in an Emerging Wales side alongside the likes of Manon Johnes, Alex Callender and Meg Davies in 2018 and was even invited to join a wider Wales Women squad in 2019 but feels now is the right time to commit to her goal of representing Wales, a personal dream that would also make her Welsh family very proud.
Liliana Podpadec leaves a trail of defenders behind her while playing for Llandaff North
“My dad was brought up in Hirwaun and my mum’s family was from North Wales so playing for Wales has always been an ambition for me and if I realise that dream, it will mean a lot to all of my family. Luckily we can now have crowds at our matches so I’m sure my family and friends will be very supportive if I’m involved in any way,” she added.
“My father’s family are originally from Slovenia and my brother Lewis has been capped by Slovenia so he’s a role model in terms of working hard to achieve your goals. When I was approached to be part of the wider squad a few years ago I was still in Uni and it just didn’t feel right but I’m more settled now and ready to give it my best shot.”
With no competitive club rugby in Wales for almost 18 months, the enforced break meant she returned with a renewed hunger to reach her undoubted potential and she is certainly making the most of every opportunity to progress.
“The lockdowns gave me a clean break from rugby. I kept up with my strength and conditioning at home but also enjoyed other sports like mountain biking. I think that break has made me enjoy rugby even more since we’ve been able to return on a competitive basis.”
Head coach Ioan Cunningham is pleased with how the youngster, and the other new players to the environment have settled into camp.
“There is clear improvement as players are learning new structures and stepping up to the international environment – especially those who have come from the community club game such as Liliana,” he said.
“The new players wouldn’t have ever faced opposition such as the Black Ferns so it was great to see them gain from that experience.”
Tickets are now on sale for Wales Women’s autumn games
Wales Women autumn series
Sunday 7 Nov 5pm Wales Womens v Japan
Saturday 13 Nov 12.15pm Wales Womens v SA
Sunday 21 Nov 5pm Wales Womens v Canada
