Leeds Rhinos star to captain Wales in Headingley Test against England

Dainton, who crossed codes to join Rhinos ahead of the 2023 season, will also skipper Wales against France in Carcassonne on Sunday.

The 35-year-old made her Wales rugby league debut against England last year, having won eight caps in rugby union between 2016 and 2021.

She also played for the Barbarians in the 15-a-side game, along with spells at Newport Gwent Dragons, Bristol Bears and Harlequins. A serving soldier, Dainton has also represented the British Army at union and league, which was her first taste of the 13-a-side game two years ago,

Wales face England in Leeds on Saturday, November 4, as a curtain-raiser to the men’s third Test between the host nation and Tonga and Dainton insisted: “Pulling on the red jersey is pretty special, but to captain my country, lead out the team and sing our national anthem will be the pinnacle of my career and the greatest honour.”

She said: “I am grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to the challenge, but for me, nothing really changes. I like to drive standards on and off the pitch and pride myself on leading from the front while also enjoying the process and not taking myself too seriously.

“I truly believe in creating a positive environment to allow others to grow and express themselves. I’m really looking forward to getting some international rugby league under our belts as we’ve not had a fixture since October last year.”

Wales will be underdogs against France and England who both featured at the 2022 World Cup. Eight Rhinos players have been selected for England’s performance squad ahead of the next month’s showdown.

“We know both France and England will be tough encounters and we’re definitely up for the challenge,” Dainton added. “We always talk about how we want to compete and not participate so this will be a great opportunity to play the best teams and see where we are at as a squad heading into the Rugby League World Cup qualifying campaign, which is ultimately our main goal.”

Wales head-coach, Tom Brindle hailed Daiunton as “a leader on the field and off the field”. He said: “She has played at the highest level consistently and played high-pressure games. She always rises to the occasion and delivers on the world’s biggest stages and will continue to be a great influence on our team as we set to take on two powerhouses of rugby league.”