Glamorgan County Cricket Club are delighted to receive confirmation that we will have a Tier 1 Glamorgan Women’s Team by 2027.
This will enable us to continue our commitment to develop Women’s and Girls’ Cricket in Wales with the aim to see cricket become the number one Women’s team sport in the country.
Dan Cherry, Chief Executive at Glamorgan Cricket said: “The whole team at Glamorgan is extremely excited by the confirmation that there will be a professional Glamorgan Women’s team playing in Tier 1 of the newly established competition. We aim to see cricket become the number one women’s team sport in Wales and are very pleased that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have recognised this commitment.
“We will continue with the substantial work we already do to develop Women’s and Girls’ Cricket in Wales and are grateful to the ECB for the additional funding to run our talent pathway to a Tier 1 standard so that we will be fully prepared for Tier 1 professional cricket in 2027.
“We would like to thank the Welsh Government, Cricket Wales, Sport Wales and a number of leading Welsh businesses for their support for our bid.”
Aimee Rees, Head of Women’s and Girls’ Cricket at Glamorgan Cricket said: “Seeing Glamorgan awarded a Tier One Women’s Cricket Team is the proudest moment in my 20-year coaching career to date. We will embrace the opportunity and make the whole nation proud.
“To be able to offer the opportunity for young women and girls from all over Wales to develop their skills and move through a fully operated pathway to represent a professional Women’s Cricket Team based in their own country will be transformational for women’s cricket in Wales.
“This is a momentous step to add to an already long and rich history of women’s cricket in Wales. Glamorgan doesn’t just represent a county, we represent a country, and today’s announcement will give girls in Wales the best opportunity to be professional cricketers at the highest level.”
Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “Through this process we’ve seen a huge appetite from First Class Counties to have a women’s professional team, and a real commitment to growing women’s and girls’ cricket in this country.
“I’d like to congratulate those counties who have been successful in their bids. I’m also delighted that in light of the support we have seen and the strength of the bids we have considered, we can accelerate our plans, including new top tier professional teams at Glamorgan and Yorkshire by 2027 with a further two being introduced by 2029.
“More professional teams means more women able to make a career out of being a cricketer, more role models to inspire future generations, and more of the country having a women’s professional team to follow nearby.”