By Rob Carbon
Rugby will return with a resounding bang at the Welsh universities this week when the BUCS Super Rugby competition kicks off after an 18 month enforced break.
There are three Welsh teams in the top-flight and Cardiff Met have the honour of welcoming the reigning champions, Durham, to Cyncoed for their opening game on Wednesday night (6.30pm).
Cardiff University host Northumbria and Swansea University welcome Exeter, who were champions in 2018 and finished runners-up in 2019. They will arrive in Wales having warmed-up with a 103-0 win over Sidmouth.
Swansea are led by No 8 Scott Jenkins, who will find himself embroiled in a back row battle with the former Llandovery College captain, and Wales U18 cap, Olly White.
White is captain of Exeter this season and one of many Welshmen in their squad. Wales U20 caps Dan John, Ollie Burrows, Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza, as is U18 international Ioan Davies. They also have England U20 Grand Slam winger Arthur Relton to call on.
“We got into the play-offs in the last season we played, which was fantastic, but this year we are hoping to go one better. We had two wins over Cardiff University in our debut season which was also very special, and now we just want to get out there, get going and play with ball in hand,” said Jenkins.
Former Ospreys, Wales and British & Irish Lions playmaker James Hook has been added to the Swansea coaching team this season and will be hoping to stamp his brand on the already free-flowing approach adopted by the students in their first season of BUCS Super Rugby. Exeter ran out victors by 55-31 the last time they played at St Helen’s in March 2020.
Cardiff Met director of rugby Danny Milton is hoping for another big crowd for his side’s opening fixture. They had 800 fans at their final run out, against Brunel University, last week and it promises to be a noisy night at the Cyncoed campus .
“The students who come out to support the team make a huge difference and we are hoping for another big crowd. It is a real honour to be given first crack at the reigning champions,” said Milton.
“It is a great game to start with and then we go into the first derby match with Cardiff University at the Arms Park the following week. After such a long time away from the game we couldn’t have asked for a better or bigger start.
Pitch looking resplendent. Top work by the @CMetSport ground staff 👏✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/23W3aKKVtB
— Cardiff Met Sport TV (@CMetSportTV) September 24, 2021
“Iwan Shenton is our new captain and we’ve got an exciting new prop from the Dragons in Joe Cowell. Brad Roderick-Evans is from the Scarlets age-grade ranks and Roma Zedheng is a first year who looks like pushing into the side on the wing.
“For the past 18 months we have been kicking our heels, training, playing touch rugby and then easing our way into this moment with some friendly fixtures. Now it all starts for real and everyone is beyond excited.”
Cardiff University will be led by Marcus Ramage and will be looking to hold onto their Super Rugby status for a third season. Former Dragons No 8 Joe Bearman has joined the coaching team alongside director of rugby Alan Flowers.
“We started off really well in our last campaign and beat Hartpury. There weren’t many people who thought we could do that,” said Ramage.
“There were a lot of games that were really close – we lost by a point and then two points to Exeter – and so we feel we could have pushed higher up the league. That’s the aim this season.”
You can watch live coverage of the opening match between Cardiff Met and Durham by clicking here. Coverage starts at 18:10 and is provided by Cardiff Met TV.