Tuipulotu targets Lions place after double in Wales win

Sisilia Tuipulotu says making the first women's British and Irish Lions squad is number one on her goal list.

The 23-year-old Wales prop set out her ambition after scoring two tries in Wales' 50-19 victory over South Africa, according to BBC Sport. A try, worth five points, is scored by touching the ball down over the tryline. Two in one game is a big return for a forward.

Lions women's head coach Jo Yapp watched that game in person. She will name her squad for the tour to New Zealand in May.

That squad will make history. The women's Lions bring together players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in one touring team. The first tour, officially titled the Howden Lions Women's Tour 2027, will take place in New Zealand in September 2027, Lions Rugby confirms. It is due to start in Whangarei on 4 September and finish with a final fixture on 25 September at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch.

Tuipulotu plays tighthead prop. That is a front-row forward who packs down on the right side of the scrum, the crouched pushing contest used to restart play, and helps power the set-piece while carrying hard in open field. It is gruelling, unglamorous work. It rarely produces two-try afternoons.

She broke through in the 2023 Six Nations and earned the nickname "prop idol". She joined Harlequins from Gloucester-Hartpury in the summer, switching clubs in England's top domestic league.

Wales do not have to wait long for the next audition. They are scheduled to face the USA at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday at 15:00 BST. Expect collisions to come thick and fast. Expect fatigue to test technique in the second half.

For fans, this means a simple story to follow. Tuipulotu has made her intentions public. Yapp has seen her score twice at close quarters. The race for a seat on the plane to New Zealand is now openly under way.