Cardiff Uni’s fencing club continued their Varsity winning streak against Swansea in both men’s and women’s teams, contributing to Cardiff’s overall triumph against their Welsh sporting rival.
The day started off in high spirits at 11:00, and I had the opportunity to catch the fencing president, Lukas Nemitsas, before the bouts took place. He voiced his trust in Cardiff, backed up by his experience in the previous two years where the team had come out victorious against their green opponents. “Our team is really great, both as fencers and as personalities, so I’m really excited to fence with them. Go Cardiff!”
Across the three disciplines (Epee, Foil and Sabre), they won in two, leading to a nail-biting last bout in Foil. While Cardiff had fallen behind, the club’s own president managed to secure a draw in total points, with 25-45, earning both teams a total of 115 points, giving Cardiff the overall win for their success in Epee and Sabre.
His trust was well-earned. The men’s team gave a vigorous performance, remaining neck-to-neck with Swansea until the very end
The women’s team also delivered a spectacular performance, showcasing an incredible sweep across all three weapons, ending in a final score of 135-64 for Cardiff. As Epee fencer Az Kim described, “Everyone fenced extremely well, and even though Epee was touch-and-go for a bit, we fought a good fight and secured the win.” As for Foil and Sabre, the team masterfully won with 45-12 and 45-13, respectively. This is especially impressive as the majority of the women’s team has been reportedly injured throughout the semester and preserved regardless to proudly secure the win for Cardiff.
The sport was incredibly entertaining from all perspectives. The Cardiff community was strong, with supporters showing up with signs and voicing their Cardiff pride loudly for each point scored. Referee Tom Prince described the mix of great technique and “really nice team spirit (...) you can hear all of the support for Cardiff, cheering for every single point.”
The victory of the club is sure to continue onwards, says Oskar Garlinski, current beginner’s officer and future president for 2026/7. When asked about his goals for carrying on the torch at next year’s varsity, he had one single response: “definitely win”, a sentiment that was seen throughout the whole team as they celebrated their success—with ample sportsmanship still shown towards the Swans, of course.