Undaunted by being drawn in a formidable group, Rhian Wilkinson’s side go to Switzerland determined to create opportunities for girls back home
T
he rain cascading down on the Vale of Glamorgan is so heavy, so incessant, that the hotel’s reception has run out of umbrellas for guests to borrow and frustrated golfers crowd the lobby. Only two sets of residents seem oblivious to the weather; those heading to the spa and the Wales Women squad. It is late May and with Rhian Wilkinson’s players flying to Switzerland for Euro 2025 at the end of June far too much is at stake for anyone wearing a national tracksuit to be at a loose end.
Charlie Estcourt has travelled to the sprawling Vale Resort from the US where she plays for Washington’s DC Power, but the midfielder is not about to succumb to jet lag. Instead, she is focused on impressing Wilkinson as the team trains at the Welsh’s FA’s centre of excellence within the hotel’s verdant grounds. “We have a no-excuses culture now,” says Estcourt. “It’s something Rhian’s brought in and it’s really helped us get to the next level.”
That change enabled Wales to qualify for their first major tournament while opening a window to social change. “A really big thing for us as a collective is that we want to leave a legacy for Welsh women,” says Estcourt. “To create the sort of opportunities for girls growing up in Wales today that we never had.”
