Five cap Welsh rugby wing Lowri Norkett-Morgan is set to pass on her legacy to the next generation of elite athletes in Wales after hanging up her boots to join Coleg y Cymoedd’s teaching team at its renowned Sporting Centre of Excellence in Nantgarw.
After the sudden death of her sister, Elli, in 2017, who was the youngest player at the Rugby World Cup in 2014, Lowri made the decision to switch from a professional netball career to one in rugby so that she could pay homage to her sibling and carry on her legacy in the sport.
She went on to play rugby league for Wales before becoming a Welsh Rugby Union test player, representing Wales during the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand and the recent six nations.
Quadruple threat Lowri is one of few female sports professionals to have represented Wales across multiple disciplines, having played for her country in netball, rugby union, rugby league, and Wales Sevens. She now hopes to bring her knowledge and skills to future sports stars at Coleg y Cymoedd’s highly esteemed Sports Academy.
As a lecturer at the college, the 28-year-old sports prodigy will teach across the South Wales college’s sports BTEC and A level courses, specialising in both female and male rugby, alongside netball academy, the 1st and 2nd teams of which are currently top of the AOC Sport Wales Schools and Colleges League.
Speaking about her new role, she said: “I absolutely love teaching, especially at this level because the learners have chosen to be here – this is what they’re passionate about and they’re so eager to learn.
“It’s great that I’m being given the opportunity to teach both male and female learners. Being a woman in sport, I’m aware that I’m still in the minority, and Coleg y Cymoedd is giving me the opportunity to take centre stage in a male dominated sport and do my best to change that narrative. That’s a challenge in itself and I’m keen to live up to it.”
Having previously been a PE teacher at Morriston Comprehensive School for two years prior to her first rugby contract, Swansea girl Lowri has always had a love for teaching and mentoring the next generation of athletes.
Since opening last year, Coleg y Cymoedd’s state-of-the-art performance training facility in Nantgarw has become recognised as one of the best sporting academies in Wales and Lowri is looking forward to being a part of the team.
She added: “After attending the World Cup in 2022, I felt I had achieved my dream and done Elli proud. I was ready for my next adventure and had heard of Coleg y Cymoedd as it’s renowned for being a great sports academy. I knew it would be the perfect place to share my knowledge and experiences.
“Shaping the future generation of elite sports professionals is really important to me. I want to highlight to the learners at Coleg y Cymoedd the importance of dedication and passion to their sport, but also, show them that equal energy and enthusiasm should go into their academic studies too. Professional sports careers are much shorter than most so having something else you can enjoy and pursue afterwards is essential to being at peace with life after a professional sporting career.”
Lee Davies, Head of Sport at Coleg y Cymoedd, said: “Lowri is one of few who have represented Wales across four disciplines which is a huge feat. Welcoming Lowri to our sports faculty is amazing news for our academies in both rugby and netball, especially as they’re now enjoying the benefits of Nantgarw’s new sports centre. We know that Lowri will make an excellent role model for the learners here at Coleg y Cymoedd and we can’t wait to see her shape the future generation of elite athletes.”
