Bethan Dainton named as new captain of Wales for upcoming Test matches against France and England

Leeds Rhinos Women's player Bethan Dainton has been named the new captain of Wales ahead of the upcoming Test matches against France and England.

The 35-year old from Hengoed made her Wales RL debut in 2022 against England, becoming the fourth woman to be a dual-code international having won eight caps for Wales Rugby Union between 2016 and 2021. Dainton also played for the Barbarians in her time in the 15-a-side game. 

A serving soldier in the British Army, Dainton’s first experience of rugby league came when she played for The Army in 2021. She signed for Leeds Rhinos in 2023 and was part of the team who made it to the Super League Grand Final, and the Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

She has rugby union experience with Newport Gwent Dragons, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, and the UK Armed Forces. Dainton has a background in athletics, having represented Cwmbran Harriers and Wales on the track and at cross country.

She will lead her country out for the first time in Carcassonne on Sunday 29 October as Wales face France, ahead of returning to Headingley – home of Leeds Rhinos – for the Test match against England on Saturday 4 November.

“Pulling on the red jersey is pretty special, but to captain my country, be the one to lead out the team and sing our national anthem will be the pinnacle of my career and the greatest honour,” said Bethan.

“I am grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to the challenge but for me, nothing really changes. I like to drive standards on and off the pitch and pride myself on leading from the front whilst also enjoying the process and not taking myself too seriously. I truly believe in creating a positive environment to allow others to grow and express themselves. “I’m really looking forward to getting some test match rugby under our belts as we’ve not had a fixture since October last year. We know both France and England will be a tough encounters and we’re definitely up for the challenge. We always talk about how we want to compete and not participate so this will be a great opportunity to play the best teams and see where we are at as a squad heading into the World Cup Qualifying Campaign, which is ultimately our main goal.”