Past Preseli School pupil Lleucu George is one very promising sportswoman to look out for as she has recently become a Welsh international in both rugby and cricket writes Anwen Francis.
The talented 17 year old played her first game of rugby for her country against Japan recently as a member of the Wales first XV Ladies team, where she was highly praised by her coaches and she has also been selected to take part in the Youth Commonwealth Games Rugby 7’s in the Under 18’s ladies squad in the Bahamas this summer. On top of this she has played cricket overseas for Wales.
The future is most definitely glowing for Lleucu, whose grandmother Beti Lewis lives in Llangoedmor near Cardigan. Lleucu the youngest daughter of Hefin and Jacqueline George of Clover Hill Farm, is currently a Level 3 Sports student at Pembrokeshire College and is a keen sports woman.
Her rugby career has taken her to pastures far afield and she has won numerous awards for her achievements. In 2016, Lleucu had her first season with the U18’s Scarlets Girls as a blind side flanker, winning the regional championship and receiving the Player’s Player award for the season. She also played for West Wales at the Principality Stadium, winning against East Wales. Lleucu is currently training with the ladies first XV World Cup Squad.
In the rugby 7’s world, she was part of the West Wales team playing in the UK school games at Loughborough University and this year gained a Welsh cap for playing 7’s Rugby for Welsh Colleges at Nottingham, winning and becoming British Champions.
Lleucu also plays for Whitland U18’s girls rugby team who, in 2016, won the league and Welsh Cup, she was awarded Players Player and Player of the Year by the club.
Lleucu will travel to the Bahamas to the Youth Commonwealth in July and will spend eight days there playing rugby.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling and probably the best career achievement so far, especially being the only player from Pembrokeshire to be selected”, said Lleucu, who will be joined by her parents.
Her cricket career has also seen Lleucu travel the globe, having played cricket in Sri Lanka for the Wales U19’s in February this year. On the Sri Lankan tour she was awarded for being the highest run scorer where she played against the Royal Air Force and the Sri Lankan ladies development squad among other teams. Lleucu was also awarded the “Best Cricket Wales Female Cricketer for the month of August 2016.
“The conditions were tough and the humidity was worse than the heat. The Sri Lankans live and breathe cricket, even though volley ball is their national sport. They are mad for cricket and a large majority seem to play it in their spare time. It was a great and exciting experience and I was very proud to have been a part of it all”, said Lleucu who has recently been presented with two awards – the Pembrokeshire College Girls Academy Player’s Player and Best Performance across all Academies including the boys academies for her all round sporting achievements.
Her interest in sports began at a young age and plays an important part in her family. Her father Hefin is a keen road rally driver, while her mother Jacqueline enjoys her equestrianism and while at school travelled extensively taking part in athletics and was a keen hockey player.
“When I was nine years old I started playing rugby with the boys at Crymych RFC and at the age of 11 years started playing cricket for the Crymych boys cricket team also the Pembrokeshire girls county cricket team. As a 12 year old I was selected to play for Wales in the under 13’s Girls Cricket team and it had all evolved from there,”.
Lleucu who has been selected to play cricket for Wales Ladies this season added: “I was friends with a lot of the boys in school and they pulled me on to play rugby and cricket with them. I really enjoy both sports, but the training is mainly based around Cardiff and quite far away when you have to train three or four times a week. I can’t thank my parents enough for taking me to training sessions over the years. Without the support of my parents and all local coaches as well as current coaches at Whitland and the Scarlets, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
