Natalia John
Date of birth (1996-02-15) 15 February 1996
Place of birthPontypridd, Wales
Height1.75 m (5.7 ft)
Weight90 kg (14 st)
SchoolYsgol Gyfun Gwyr
UniversitySwansea University
Occupation(s)Physics teacher, rugby player
Rugby union career
Position(s) Second row
Current team Bristol Bears
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2020-present Bristol Bears
Ospreys
Swansea RFC		 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (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.

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 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]

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.
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