Phillips joins Wales greats at fourth World Cup

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025: Scotland v Wales

Venue: Salford Community Stadium Date: Saturday, 23 August Kick-off: 14:45 BST

Carys Phillips will join an elite group of players when she represents Wales at a fourth World Cup.

Harlequins hooker Phillips goes into the record books alongside Welsh legends Sioned Harries, Elinor Snowsill, Caryl Thomas, Louise Rickard, Jacqueline Morgan and Liza Burgess in making four major tournament appearances.

“It’s a bit surreal, a mind-blowing time to get a fourth call-up” said the 32-year-old.

“This [World Cup] is going to be the biggest, no doubt about that. The pool stages are pretty much sold out, which is unbelievable, so I’m really excited to get started.”

Phillips is one of Wales’ most capped players – just two short of World Rugby hall of famer Burgess who finished her stellar career on 87 caps – but she still has some way to go to catch up with Rickard, who ran out for 112 Tests between 1993 and 2010.

Phillips made her Wales debut against Ireland in 2013 and was later selected in Rhys Edwards’ squad for the 2014 World Cup.

“I was 20 when I went to my first tournament in France, although I only looked about 16 in the team photo,” Phillips said.

“I remember facing the Haka for the first time during the pool matches. That was quite scary.”

And while she seems to have been a mainstay in the squad for the past 12 years, Phillips’ career has had a few bumps in the road, including two years in international exile and the mystery departure of her father as head coach.

But she came roaring back on to the scene in the 2021 autumn internationals, scoring a hat-trick against South Africa, and the following year she became one of 12 players to be awarded a first professional contract from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

But Phillips is very modest about her achievements, and she is clearly the joker in camp and not someone who likes to be taken too seriously.

“I don’t act like it,” she said when asked how it felt to be one of the most senior players.

Looking ahead to Wales’ World Cup opener, the enormity of the Scotland match is not lost on Phillips and her team-mates.

Canada are tipped to top Pool B, which leaves Wales, Scotland and Fiji fighting it out for the runners-up spot to progress to the quarter-finals.

“It is a repeat of our first game in New Zealand in 2021 and it is massive for us,” said Phillips.

“All eyes are on that and we have to get our performance right to give us the momentum we need in the competition.

“If we can get out of the pool stages then anything could happen. We could meet England in the quarter-finals in Bristol, which would be a massive event.”

“Pre-season has been tough, but really good for us,” she added.

“Ben Flower has come in to help us on the contact area, which was a massive work-on for us after the Six Nations.