Over the past 25 years, the landscape for women and girls in cricket has changed dramatically. When I first became involved in the game, it was not unusual to see only three or four girls playing mixed cricket across the country. Today it is commonplace for clubs across Wales to run dedicated women’s and girls’ sections, where players can train and compete alongside their friends in an environment designed for them.
That change has not happened by accident. A number of moments have helped shift the dial for women’s sport, and in cricket one of the most significant was England’s World Cup victory at Lord’s in 2017. It was watched by the largest audience for a women’s international cricket match in this country and it showed what the women’s game could become when it was given the right stage.
Since then, the professional game has developed quickly. We now have a domestic structure across England and Wales, with nine professional teams competing this year. Competitions such as The Hundred have also played an important role in making women’s cricket visible to a much wider audience. When elite female players are performing on television and in front of large crowds, young girls can see that the pathway to becoming a professional cricketer is real.
That visibility matters enormously. If young people can see it, they can believe it is possible for them as well. Role models are essential for the growth of any sport.
At the grassroots level we are seeing the impact of that visibility. There are now far more opportunities for girls to play cricket, with many clubs running girls-only teams where players feel comfortable and supported. Those environments are thriving, and they are helping to build the next generation of players.
In Wales we have also seen more children discovering the game who do not come from traditional cricketing families. Historically, the sport was often passed down through generations, with children following parents or siblings into the game. Increasingly, however, young players are discovering cricket through school programmes, community initiatives and visible role models.
Cricket Wales has done a great deal of work introducing the game into schools, helping young people experience cricket for the first time. The challenge then is joining the dots and ensuring those young players go on to join clubs and continue playing. That pathway from introduction to long-term participation is crucial if the game is to continue growing.
For Glamorgan Cricket, the next phase of that journey is particularly significant. In 2027 the club will field a fully professional women’s team for the first time. That milestone represents a major step forward for the sport in Wales, but getting there requires careful planning and sustained investment.
One of our biggest challenges is that we are joining the professional structure slightly later than some other regions. Several teams have been operating in a professional environment for five or six years, and Yorkshire will become professional a year before us. That means we must work hard to build the right environment quickly – from recruiting players to developing the infrastructure and support systems that professional athletes need.
At the same time, that challenge also creates an opportunity. We are investing significantly in our pathway for young players because developing homegrown talent is extremely important to us. We want girls in Wales to believe that playing professional cricket for Glamorgan is something they can genuinely aspire to.
This is where partnerships like the one we have developed with Admiral become so important. The relationship allows us to invest more time, expertise and support into our young cricketers and their development.
One example is our emerging player programme for girls aged between 14 and 18. Through the partnership, Admiral has delivered face-to-face workshops with those players, helping them understand potential career pathways and opportunities within the organisation. For many of the girls involved, and their parents, those sessions have been genuinely eye-opening.
Professional cricket may be the dream for some of these young players, but programmes like this show that there are many other opportunities that can emerge from being part of a sporting pathway. It also reflects Admiral’s wider ambition to encourage more women into sectors that have traditionally been male dominated.
Visibility within the club has also been important in inspiring the next generation. Our women’s team is currently semit-professional, and many of those players combine cricket with careers as teachers, radiographers or in other professions. Yet they are highly visible within the club – appearing across our social media channels and around the ground.
They also stand alongside the men’s team during media activities and wear the same kit. Those details matter. For young girls in our pathway, seeing those players training at Sophia Gardens or coaching sessions makes the journey feel immediate and achievable.
All of this work is building towards a significant moment for the club.
In 12 months’ time we will be preparing to play the first professional match in the history of Glamorgan’s women’s team. Everything happening now – the Admiral partnership, the development of our pathway and the recruitment of players – is about getting us to that point where 11 professional cricketers walk out to represent the club.
The next year will involve a great deal of hard work, but it is also an incredibly exciting period for the women’s game in Wales. Reaching that moment will represent years of progress across the sport, from grassroots participation through to elite competition.
When that first professional match arrives, it will mark the beginning of a new chapter for Glamorgan Cricket and for women’s cricket in Wales.
Aimee Rees talks about this and more in Beyond the Boundary, The Glamorgan Cricket Podcast. Listen here.
