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Rugby sisters set to face England 'push each other'

Eleri Griffiths
BBC News
BBC Both sisters standing together smiling at the camera Both are wearing Welsh rugby kits and a spectator stand is in the background.BBC
Gwenllian Pyrs (left) will start the match, while her 19-year-old sister, Alaw Pyrs (right) is on the bench

Two sisters are set to play together as Wales take on England in a historic Women's Six Nations rugby match on Saturday.

Gwenllian Pyrs, 27, from Ysbyty Ifan in Conwy county, an experienced prop with more than 40 caps, will start the match, while her 19-year-old sister, Alaw Pyrs, a promising forward in the second row, is on the bench.

The sisters had never played together until last weekend when they shared the field for 10 minutes in the match against Scotland at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.

"It's a new experience for both of us - but we'll just have to try to keep our nerves," said Gwenllian.

Getty Images A picture of the women's rugby team singing the National Anthem before a game. Getty Images
A crowd of more than 18,000 fans are expected for the game in the Principality Stadium on Saturday

Gwenllian is one of two changes made by new head coach Sean Lynn to the Welsh team that will face England, currently ranked number one in the world.

The match will be played in front of a record crowd for any women's sporting event in Wales.

Gwenllian added: "Rugby has always been part of our family.

"Everyone has been playing since they were little."

Despite the sisters occasionally "pushing and shoving each other around a bit in training", she said they always challenge each other to improve.

Alaw, who began playing rugby with the boys when she was eight, said she looks up to her sister but is also highly competitive.

"She got her first cap when she was quite young, just like me," she said.

"So, I want to push myself to be better than her."

Gwenllian and Alaw in the changing rooms together smiling at camera. Both are wearing Welsh rugby kits. Some of their fellow players are in the background chatting.
Alaw (left) says she looks up to her sister but is also highly competitive and wants to "push myself to be better than her"

The Wales vs England match will kick off at 16:45 GMT on Saturday, 29 March, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

A crowd of more than 18,000 fans is expected, which would set a new record for a women's sporting event in Wales.

The previous record was set in December, when just under 17,000 fans attended a Wales football match at Cardiff City Stadium.

For the Welsh women's rugby team, the previous attendance record was 10,592, set during the final Six Nations match against Italy at the Principality Stadium last year.