Lisa Dafydd to Perform National Anthem at Wales' First Six Nations Match
Lisa Dafydd will sing the national anthem before Wales' first game in this year’s Six Nations Championship.
"Representing Wales in any capacity is a privilege, but Saturday will be truly special."
The start of the Six Nations always excites Lisa Dafydd and her family, but this year’s championship will be more significant than usual as Lisa has been chosen to perform the national anthem in front of a crowd exceeding 80,000 at Twickenham Stadium.
"I've never done anything like this before," said the singer from Ruthin in Denbighshire.
"I've never performed in such a large venue or to such a big crowd before, so I’m looking forward to a completely new and very different experience."
Early Musical Journey Rooted in Family and Local Choir
Lisa explained that her journey to becoming a singer began at home from a very young age.
"Our home was always full of singing since I was very young," she said.
"My mother was a music teacher at Ysgol Glan Clwyd and led a local choir in Ruthin. My brother and I would always attend their sessions with my mother and sit and listen.
"That was a big part of what has shaped me as a musician."
At age 13, Lisa joined her mother’s choir, Côr Cytgan Clwyd.
"I remember as a child singing at the Racecourse with the choir when Wrexham were playing football, and I also recall Eisteddfodau as I was growing up – those were my first experiences of singing in front of an audience.
"But Saturday will be on another level altogether."
Advanced Musical Education and Career Highlights
Lisa studied her master’s course at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
After leaving school, Lisa studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester for four years as a singer before completing a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
"It felt like a very natural step to follow a course focused on singing, and I’m extremely proud to have done so because I’ve had so many great opportunities as a result," she said.
One of the highlights of Lisa’s career so far came in 2022 when she won the Osborne Roberts Memorial Award, the Blue Ribbon, at the Tregaron Eisteddfod.
The Blue Ribbon competition is for soloists aged 19–25 and has proven to be a key starting point for some of Wales and the world’s most famous singers such as Sir Bryn Terfel and Mary Lloyd Davies.
"It was an absolutely unforgettable day," Lisa said. "Competing was a lot of fun in the first place, but I never imagined winning."
Opera Experience and Future Aspirations
Lisa spent time touring with Opera Cymru in 2025.
Opera and classical singing are now Lisa’s specialties, having worked on several different projects since her success at the Eisteddfod, including a period with Opera Cymru’s tour at the end of 2025.
The next step will be singing the national anthem before the Saturday afternoon game, but Lisa has another milestone she hopes to reach in the future.
"Being able to do the same thing at the Millennium Stadium in front of a crowd of Welsh people one day would truly be incredible.
"That’s the goal, that’s the dream."
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