Bethan Dainton

Bethan Dainton (born 12 April 1989) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays winger for the Bristol Ladies/Newport Gwent Dragons and the Wales women's national rugby union team. She won her first international cap against Ireland in the 2016 Women's Six Nations Championship. She is enlisted in the British Army, and with the 39th Regiment Royal Artillery she was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, and was awarded the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan.

Bethan Dainton

Date of birth	12 April 1989
Place of birth	Caerphilly, Glamorgan
Height	1.67 m (5.5 ft)
Weight	68 kg (10.7 st)
School	Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni
Occupation(s)	Army Physical Training Instructor
Rugby union career
Position(s) Winger Current team Bristol Ladies/Newport Gwent Dragons Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Bristol Ladies Newport Gwent Dragons () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2016–present Wales 5 Correct as of 2 May 2016

Early life and army career

Bethan Dainton was born in Caerphilly, Glamorgan on 12 April 1989. As of 2016, her official Wales Rugby Union biography states that she is 1.67 metres (5.5 ft) tall, and weighs 68 kilograms (10.7 st).[1] She is a fan of association football, and follows Cardiff City.[2]

She joined the British Army, and was posted to the 74th Battery of the 39th Regiment Royal Artillery. Over the winter of 2010-11, she was posted to Afghanistan. At a ceremony in Newcastle in March 2011, Dainton was one of 71 soldiers who were awarded their Operational Service Medals for Afghanistan.[2]

Rugby career

She hadn't played rugby union until 2015, when Gemma Rowland invited her to play for the Newport Gwent Dragons women's rugby sevens team. She had previously competed in athletics and cross country for the Cwmbran Harriers and Wales. At her first game for the Dragons, Welsh national coach Rhys Edwards was present and later said he had taken note when at her first touch of the ball, she ran 80 metres (87 yd) for a try.[3]

Dainton represented Wales in both legs of the Rugby Europe Championship in Russia and France where she helped Wales secure a place in the Women's Sevens World Series Qualifiers in Dublin, Ireland. To date she has 3 International 7s caps. Dainton then began to play for Bristol Ladies and Newport Gwent Dragons, In January 2016, she was named in the 28 man squad for Wales women's national rugby union team for the 2016 Women's Six Nations Championship. She won her first cap in the opening game against Ireland which she then secured herself a starting shirt throughout the Six Nations Campaign earning herself 5 caps.[3][1]

References

1. "Bethan Dainton". Wales Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
2. "Soldier Bethan can't wait to see City game at home!". Wales Online. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
3. Kirwan, Chris (9 March 2016). "Wales wing Bethan Dainton proving to be a fast learner after 'whirlwind' year". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 2 May 2016.