The introduction of a Cymru Women’s Under-23 side could mark an important new chapter in the development of Welsh women’s football, providing a pathway designed to bridge the gap between youth international football and the senior national team.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has confirmed that its first-ever Cymru WU23 training camp will take place during the October international window, with 19 players selected for the historic camp at FAW headquarters in Hensol.
For years, one of the biggest challenges facing the women’s international pathway in Wales has been what happens to players after they graduate from the Under-19 age group.
Without an established intermediate age group, talented players have faced the potential of making the significant step from Under-19 football into a senior international environment extremely challenging, where they could be competing against established players with considerably more experience.
The creation of the Under-23 set-up is intended to provide another stage in that development.
Building The Missing Link
The FAW announced in August that the WU23 programme would be introduced specifically to help bridge the gap between WU19 and senior international football. The organisation has been working on the introduction of the age group for several years.
FAW Chief Football Officer Dr David Adams said the organisation’s objective is to graduate two players per year into the senior Women’s National Team.
The intention is therefore not simply to create another youth team, but to establish a more clearly defined route towards senior international football. The importance of that pathway has previously been highlighted by players, families and campaigners.
A BBC Sport report earlier this year documented concerns about talented Welsh players potentially being lost from the international pathway after reaching the end of the Under-19 system.
Former Wales youth international Shanelle Edwards said the physical and mental jump between being an 18- or 19-year-old player and competing at senior level could be significant.
The WU23 side now gives those players another opportunity to continue developing within the international system.
More Than Just Another Age Group
The significance of the WU23s could extend beyond simply giving players additional matches. For example, the October camp will overlap with the senior Women’s National Team camp, allowing players and staff from the two groups to work closely together. This connection could be crucial.
Rather than the pathway operating as a series of separate age groups, the WU23 programme has the potential to create greater continuity between youth and senior football. Young players can therefore become familiar with the expectations, standards and environments surrounding the senior team before making the permanent step up.
At the same time, senior coaches can monitor players more closely and understand their development over a longer period. The FAW says the WU23 camp will provide high-potential players with further monitoring and international exposure. This also allows support through the Talent ID programme to identify players in Wales and all those eligible.
A Stronger Foundation For The Future
The timing of the move is particularly significant given the growth of women’s football in Wales. The FAW reported in December 2025 that more than 20,000 women and girls were registered to play football in Wales, with participation having increased by 58% over the previous three years.
As the number of players entering the football pathway increases, the need for appropriate and successful opportunities to maintain and develop that talent becomes increasingly important; the WU23 system could provide that additional layer.
Instead of the end of the Under-19 pathway potentially becoming a crossroads of uncertainty for players, the Under-23s are able to offer another period of stability and development, allowing players to gain experience while also remaining connected to the national-team structure. It also gives players time to adapt to the demands of senior football.
International football is different from youth football. The physical intensity, tactical demands, pressure, and expectations can all increase considerably. A WU23 environment provides an important opportunity for players to experience those demands progressively rather than being expected to make one substantial leap.
Creating A Pathway, Not Just A Team
One of the most important aspects of the new programme is that it represents a change in how the pathway can operate.
The aim is not necessarily for every WU23 player to immediately become a senior international. However, it aims to provide a structured environment in which players can continue developing and be monitored as they move towards their peak years.
This system also has the ability to create greater competition for places within the senior squad. Players who may not yet be ready for senior international football can now continue their development stages, rather than disappearing from the national-team system altogether.
There is already evidence that players can successfully make the transition from youth football into the senior Cymru side. Mared Griffiths and Kelly have both progressed from the youth pathway into senior international football. The introduction of the WU23s could allow more players to follow a similar route.
The First Step Of A Long-Term Project
The October camp is only the beginning. The FAW has stressed that the initial WU23 programme will be reviewed after the international window to explore future opportunities for the set-up.
There is also no official UEFA WU23 competition, meaning the programme will initially have to operate differently from established youth international competitions. However, the FAW has pointed to other European nations already operating WU23 age groups despite the absence of official competition.
The first camp will conclude with an uncapped behind-closed-doors match against WSL 2 side Watford, giving the players another opportunity to experience a higher level of competition.
The first team selection includes players who have recently graduated from the WU19 set-up, alongside players already playing senior club football, ultimately making the camp a mixture of emerging and more established talent.
For Welsh women’s football, the introduction of the Under-23s is therefore about more than adding another team to the international structure; it is about creating a bridge.
The journey from Under-19 football to the senior Cymru team has represented a significant step. The new WU23 pathway provides an opportunity to make that journey more gradual, more structured and more closely connected.
If the programme is able to successfully develop as intended, the biggest measure of its success may not be the results of individual WU23 matches, but the number of young Welsh players who eventually make the first step into senior international football.
For the next generation of Cymru players, the road to the senior team now has an important and stable new stage.
