Natalia John

Last updated
Natalia John
Date of birth (1996-02-15) 15 February 1996 (age 27)
Place of birth Pontypridd, Wales
Height1.75 m (5.7 ft)
Weight90 kg (14 st)
School Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr
University Swansea University
Occupation(s)Physics teacher, rugby player
Rugby union career
Position(s) Second row
Current team Bristol Bears
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2020-present Bristol Bears
Ospreys
Swansea RFC 		()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2018–present Wales 25
Correct as of 06 May 2021

Natalia John (born 15 February 1996) is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays second row for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Bristol Bears. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2018 and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Contents

Club career

John began playing rugby in 2014 while studying at Swansea University. She first played with her local team, Bonymaen, before signing with premiership team Swansea RFC in 2016. [1] In 2017 John was selected to play for the Ospreys, where her impressive performance led to a call-up to Wales' autumn series training squad later that year. [2] She signed with her current club, Bristol Bears, in 2020. [3]

International career

Following her call-up to the training squad in 2017, John was selected for the 2018 Women's Six Nations Championship team, where she made her international debut against Scotland. [4] She has since represented the Wales women's team at each subsequent Six Nations Championship.

In 2019, she was part of the first Welsh side to face British invitational rugby union club Barbarians FC, at a Principality Stadium double-header in Cardiff. [5]

John has earned 25 caps so far in her rugby career. [4] She was selected in Wales squad for the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. [6] [7]

Personal life

John attended Welsh language secondary school Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr before later studying materials engineering at Swansea University, where she graduated with a degree in 2017. [8]

She was the second in her family to face the Barbarians wearing a number 4 shirt. Her father, Gareth John, played for Penarth in the final Good Friday fixture against the invitational side in March 1986. [5]

John is a qualified physics teacher but is now a full-time rugby player for Wales and is one of the first twelve women to have a professional contract for Wales. [9]

Related Research Articles

Shona Powell-Hughes is a Welsh Rugby Union professional player who plays prop for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Gloucester Hartpury. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2010 as the youngest member of the team at the time, and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Jasmine Joyce-Butchers is a Welsh rugby union player who plays wing for the Wales women's national rugby union team, Team GB and Bristol Bears. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2017, and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Elinor Snowsill is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Bristol Bears. She made her debut for Wales against Sweden in 2009, earning 76 caps before her international retirement in August 2023.

Caryl Thomas is a Welsh Rugby Union player. She plays loosehead prop for Wales and Worcester Warriors. She represented Wales at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Siwan Lillicrap is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a lock or number 8 for Gloucester-Hartpury and the Wales national team. Lillicrap made her debut for Wales in 2016, and captained the team at the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Alisha Joyce-Butchers is a Welsh rugby union player who plays flanker for Bristol Bears Women and the Wales women's national rugby union team. She made her debut for the Wales rugby union team in 2016 and has played in 29 matches for the national side. Butchers scored her first international try in 2016 in a Women's Six Nations Championship victory over Scotland. She works as an Active Young People Officer and a Girls' Hub Officer while continuing her rugby career.

Gwenllian Pyrs is a Welsh rugby union player who plays loosehead prop for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Sale Sharks Women of Premier 15s. She made her debut for the Wales rugby union team in 2017 and has played in 15 matches for the national side. Pyrs has played for Scarlets, RGC Women, Caernarfon RFC and Firwood Waterloo at the club level. She works as a farmer, sheepdog breeder and trainer as well as a rugby hub officer for the Welsh Rugby Union while continuing her rugby career.

Keira Bevan is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays scrum half for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Bristol Bears. She made her debut for Wales in 2015.

Hannah Jones is a Welsh Rugby Union professional player who plays centre for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Gloucester Hartpury. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2015 and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Gemma Rowland is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays centre for the Wales women's national rugby union team, Bristol Bears and the British Army Rugby Union. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2015, and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Neumann</span> Wales international rugby union footballer

Lisa Neumann is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays wing for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Gloucester-Hartpury. Neumann made her international debut in 2018, and represented the Wales squad at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Gwen Crabb is a Welsh Rugby Union player. She plays second row for Wales internationally and for Gloucester-Hartpury in the Premier 15s.

Cara Hope is a Welsh Rugby Union professional player who plays prop for the Wales women's national rugby union team and for Gloucester Hartpury in the Premier 15s.

Manon Johnes is a Welsh Rugby Union professional player who plays back row for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Bristol Bears. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2018, and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Robyn Lock is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays hooker for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Gloucester Hartpury. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2019 and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Megan Webb is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays centre for the Wales women's national rugby union team. She made her debut for the Wales national team in 2019 and was part of the squad for the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Courtney Keight is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays wing for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Bristol Bears. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2019 and represented them at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Niamh Terry is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays fly half for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Exeter Chiefs. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2019 and was part of the team at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship.

Abbie Fleming is a Welsh rugby union player who plays flanker for the Wales women's national rugby union team and lock for Exeter Chiefs in the Premier 15s. She made her international debut for Wales against Spain in 2019.

Megan Davies is a Welsh Rugby Union player who plays scrum half for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Bristol Bears. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2021, representing the team at the 2021 Women's Six Nations Championship. Davies was selected for wales women’s nation rugby union team in 2023 to tour New Zealand in the WXV1 tournament.

References

  1. ↑ "Natalia John". Moonrise. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  2. ↑ Griffiths, Rob (2017-10-18). "Four North Walians called into Wales Womens training squad". North Wales Live. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  3. ↑ "Natalia John joins Bristol Bears Women". Bristol Bears. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  4. 1 2 "Natalia John". Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  5. 1 2 "Natalia proud to follow in father's footsteps - Welsh Rugby Union". Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  6. ↑ Jones, Liz (2022-09-21). "Wales Rugby World Cup squad named". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  7. ↑ "Wales: Siwan Lillicrap captains 32-player Rugby World Cup squad featuring 19 tournament debutants". Sky Sports. 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  8. ↑ "Swansea University students past and present to fly the flag for Wales in Six Nations". www-2018.swansea.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  9. ↑ "First full-time Wales Women players revealed - Welsh Rugby Union". Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions. 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.