Wales have added experienced depth at scrum-half after recalling Megan Davey, a move that reignites a career she briefly feared would end at 26. The Loughborough Lightning captain, who holds the club's appearance record, joins a 39-player squad preparing for WXV fixtures against South Africa, USA and Japan.
Davey, who has made a record 124 appearances for Loughborough Lightning, said she almost left the game when she missed Wales' 2026 Six Nations selection and was omitted from Sean Lynn's extended WXV training group. "There was a little bit of a wobble," she admitted, reflecting on the uncertainty that led her to consider full-time teaching. She won the first of her eight caps aged 19 in 2021.
The half-back received a call-up last month, and she described the recall as the chance she had been holding on to. "There's always been something inside me, I know I can do it, it's the voice inside my head that's kept me going," Davey said, adding, "I was really happy that I got an opportunity."
Davey qualifies for Wales through a grandfather from Llanelli, but she progressed through England's development pathway as a youngster because Wales' under-20s setup was less established at the time. "The avenue for under-20s was always really with England because it wasn't as set up with Wales, but now it's really good," she said, and added that being older now makes her feel able to represent people with pride.
Despite arriving at camp later than some team-mates, Davey said she found the environment welcoming. "There's always that thing when you walk into an environment that’s already established, you're like 'how am I going to do?' but I was really raring to go," she said, noting she moved on from the disappointment of initial omission.
Primarily training at nine for Wales, Davey faces competition from Keira Bevan and Seren Lockwood, but she stressed the positives of that rivalry. "We all really enjoy each other's company. We want each other to do well, so there's never that hatred towards each other," she said, recalling she has also started at fly-half for Loughborough.
Wales open their WXV campaign against South Africa at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday 18 September at 19:15 BST, with coverage on BBC One, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. For Davey, involvement would be deeply significant: "Playing international rugby is such a privilege and I want to make everyone proud," she said. "It's just that final step, like 'I made it'. I'm really excited and hopefully it comes at some point."
