With semester one coming to a close, let's take a look back on the highs and lows of the 23/24 season of rugby at Cardiff University.
Cardiff University men’s rugby 1XV team had a vital recent success against Nottingham University in the BUCS super league. The final score was 44-31 to the boys in red, placing them 9th on the table. Joint with 12 points are Welsh rivals Swansea University. Cardiff will be pushing hard to secure a few more wins before Varsity sneaks up on us again in 2024! George Shaw took player of the match in this game after his relentless efforts.
Cardiff University ladies 1XV team squad secured their first win in the Women’s National League against Durham. This is a huge win for the girls, having worked incredibly hard so far this season. The 31-22 win was felt throughout the whole club with head coach Owen Smith commenting that “the outcome is a great reward for all the hard work and commitment put in by the players over the past couple months”. The player of the match was Emily Hay - despite it being her first year in the squad, she made a huge impact on the pitch with numerous intelligent decisions in attack.
Cardiff University men’s 2XV have had a tough run in the men’s Premier South division 1. They are yet to bring back win but came close in a home game against Cardiff Met which ended 31-33 to the away side. This is clear progress from the beginning of the season which saw them lose to Cardiff Met in an away game 31-17.
Having a successful start to the season, Cardiff University ladies 2XV are yet to be defeated. Winning their first game of the season 99-5 in a home match against Winchester set the team off to a confident start. They went on to secure a second win against Bath Spa 45-0, an impressive win against an opposition that has been tough in years gone by. The team are hoping for a successful cup run after beating Aberystwyth 73-14, in the Western Conference Cup. Vice-captain Mari Hefin says, “the team is gelling nicely together, and the backs and forwards are combining well”. If the team keep up the good work, they will be in for a well-deserved promotion at the end of the year.
The Cardiff clash returns to Cardiff Arms Park in another double header against local rival Cardiff Met on 13th December. The women’s match kicks off at 4pm and the men’s kicks off at 7pm. This will be a great game to track the progress of both teams as the last time Cardiff Uni played Cardiff Met was one of the first games of the season for both the men and the women. A sold-out stadium is expected as this event is one of the most exciting of the year!