Welsh Varsity is seen by many as the ultimate highlight of the student calendar. We asked students how they felt about the event and the changes to varsity this year. Many said the new wristband system, meant to manage high demand for popular fixtures, instead created a pre-event scramble that left many students empty-handed and frustrated. Additionally, many students had stories to tell of themselves or their friends having to purchase tickets privately from third parties.
The introduction of specific wristbands for high-demand events, such as basketball, hockey, and everything played on the Llanrumney sports fields, left many students feeling disappointed about missing their favourite events. One student argued that “these changes fundamentally altered the spirit of the day”, making what is meant to be a fluid and collective student experience more fragmented. They further noted that “the system adds a layer of gatekeeping which disproportionately affects those with less flexibility or awareness”, ultimately proving damaging towards the rich culture of Varsity.
Others felt the restrictions simply made it impossible to enjoy the variety of sports on offer. “It means you can’t go to anything,” one fourth-year student remarked, explaining that “who queues first gets where they want to go” while the rest were left to “watch whatever” was available. Another student echoed this sentiment, stating they “didn’t realise they’d changed” the system until it was too late.
One respondent noted that the collection process “took like an hour and a half” only to find that “they had nothing in stock” for the basketball matches they wanted to see.
Many of the most frustrating hurdles occurred before the event even began. Students reported long queues at collection points, only to find that the necessary wristbands were unavailable.
For those who reached the front of the queue, the experience was often high-pressure. One student described it as a “scramble for an answer” as they tried to select from the remaining options. The timing of the collection windows also proved problematic; one participant explained they missed out because they “didn’t come back to uni until the last collection day”. Another admitted they were completely unaware of the new requirements, stating: “I didn’t know about the wristband system until someone went to collect my ticket.”
The physical distance between venues and the time required for entry led to frustration for some on the day. One attendee reported missing the women’s rugby entirely because of the “long wait to get back from Llanrumney”. Even after navigating the travel delays, their struggles continued at the gate, as they missed the first “ten minutes at the start of the men’s rugby just because the queue to get in was pretty packed”.
The scarcity of official tickets fuelled a volatile secondary market. One student recounted having four devices queuing for a rugby ticket without success, eventually being forced to “buy someone’s rugby ticket off them” privately.
While some tickets were sold between friends for the ‘normal price’ of £27, others stated that prices skyrocketed, with reports of people paying £60 just for rugby tickets, significantly over marke value. One student felt the event was “less valuable than it was in other years” adding that “;maybe because my life is like, miserable, this was worth it”. Another respondent provided a detailed perspective on affordability, stating that while the day was a “rich social experience” the way it is managed is “not worth thirty-five quid from students”.
This participant even proposed a “discount for students with less accessibility” to the popular events and observed that, compared to previous years, “there were not many events this year” that justified the cost.
They argued that “thirty-five pounds is a lot of money for something that is quite restricted” and suggested that organisers should implement “price management” or “a lower ticket” for low-income students.
On the other hand, some found the price justified. One respondent replied: “absolutely. No doubt”. Other students agreed the event was “definitely good and worth it”. However, some remained unconvinced by the mandatory ticket, noting they “know a lot of people who didn’t pay for Varsity tickets and had just as much fun”. This student suggested the cost is only worth it “if you enjoy a sport so much that you really want to see it” concluding that they “could have had just as much fun without having watched” the rugby.
Cardiff University Students’ Union were asked for comment, but did not respond.