As head of our student TV station this year I had the pleasure of taking my team to the Principality Stadium to watch the 27th Edition of the Welsh Varsity Rugby.
An announcement came in just the night before where we found out we would have the opportunity to film at the home of Welsh rugby. Full press access to the media room, press box, and even pitch side on the hallowed turf.
Cardiff took Swansea to the cleaners, winning all three games in Freshers, Women’s and Men’s rugby in a vibrant day of student atmosphere and sporting achievement.
For Student Media there was no time for boozy 9am social starts, as we turned up to the media gate for the opportunity of a lifetime. The excitement was palpable. Opportunities like this for amateur filmmakers don’t come around very often. My team of eight people had a blast! The experience and hospitality we were given was phenomenal.
We filmed match highlights and social media content for all three games, capturing the atmosphere of the day from the fans (including the Swansea fans we were surrounded by in our press area), as well as the players, on what was a special day for them as well.
Conducting pre-match, half-time, and post-match highlights, as well as interviews with players, allowed us to capture comprehensive coverage which will now go into postproduction. My team were fantastic on the day!
With Xpress Radio on commentary and Gair Rhydd reporting match events alongside us, it was a real defining moment for Cardiff Student Media in gaining real experience on such a grand stage. A beautiful moment of gratification for the hard work all of these incredibly creative students have put in this year.
A personal highlight of mine was being on the pitch at the end with your very own editor-in-chief Annabelle Lee, the brilliant Xpress Radio Manager Ben Lewis, and my good friend and rugby fanatic (a bit like myself ) Luke James. As the crowd filtered out, we absorbed what had been a great day for Student Media and ourselves as aspiring media professionals, in the wonderful stage of the Principality Stadium.