Lowri Norkett follows in late sister's footsteps with World Cup selection

Winger Lowri Norkett has spoken of her joy at following in the footsteps of her late sister after being named in Wales’ squad for the World Cup in New Zealand.

Norkett’s younger sister, Elli, died in a tragic car accident in 2017, aged 20. She was regarded as one of Wales’ brightest rugby talents, having been the youngest player to feature at the 2014 World Cup at just 17 years old.

Lowri, a former Welsh netball international, fell in love with the game after playing in her sister’s memorial match and quickly rose through the ranks to earn her first start for Wales in their warm-up game with Canada last month.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind to be honest,” she said. “From getting my first cap in Canada, to getting a contract up to December to booking my ticket to New Zealand, it’s been an incredible month.

“I think coaches reward hard work and even though I didn’t get a contract the first time around, I kept working hard and it’s paid off.

“My fondest memories of Elli are of going to watch her in France in the 2014 Rugby World Cup when she was just 17. It’s amazing I’m going to do the same now. She’s been my inspiration every time.

“I’ve had to work very hard to achieve this whereas everything came very easy to her. I’m a bit lost for words to be honest. My family and fiancé are obviously very proud.”

Lowri has been one of 29 players training full-time this summer after the Wales Rugby Union upped the investment into its women’s programme ahead of the World Cup.

Three players – Sioned Harries, Elinor Snowsill and Caryl Thomas – are set to participate in their fourth World Cup while 19 players debut. They include 38-time capped centre Kerin Lake, who missed out on the last two editions, the first after giving birth to her son Jacob.

Wales head to New Zealand off the back of unprecedented investment into their women’s programme. A core group of 12 players turned professional at the start of this year after criticism levelled at the historic underfunding of its women’s team grew too loud to ignore.

In another first for Ioan Cunningham’s side, they will wear female-fitted kits at the tournament, where they face Scotland, Australia and the Black Ferns in their pool.

“Normally we have a really big upper body and really small lower body to fit men, but it didn’t look good on women,” said winger Jaz Joyce. “It’s just so much nicer to have a female-fitted kit and have that whole ‘feel good, play good’ vibe.”

WRU performance director Nigel Walker, who has been widely credited for sweeping changes across the women’s programme since joining the organisation a year ago, has backed the team to reach the quarter-finals.

He has also given assurances that contracts will remain in place during next year’s Women’s Six Nations, when Wales will sport Vodafone as their front-of-shirt sponsor after the telecommunications giant struck a multi-year, “seven-figure” partnership with the WRU. “This sponsorship will transform women’s rugby in Wales at all levels,” said Walker.