Undefeated UWIC crowned Champions!

The University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) have long been known for the success of their Rugby Union side, but this season it’s the Rugby League side who are making a name for themselves. They have just returned from a trip “over the border” where they destroyed Gloucester University 2nds by 40 points to nil. This scoreline is made all the greater as Gloucester are 2^nd in UWIC’s League - BUCS Wales & West - and are seen as their nearest rivals, this result therefore serves as an indication of just how dominant UWIC have been this season.

Scott Newton scored twice in win at Gloucester.

Their record is 8 wins from 8 games with an average winning margin of 37 points. In total the season has 10 games, they play a re-arranged game at Swansea this Wednesday (Feb 2^nd) and also hope that Aberystwyth can rouse 13 lads brave enough to make the trip south so that UWIC can claim their “Perfect 10” for the season.

Speaking after the win in Gloucester, Head Coach Paul Horrocks said “I am really happy with the win, and to zero the opposition, we didn’t play the best rugby after 2 months without a game, but we were dogged and fought hard. We’ve still got a long way to go with Swansea next week and the knockouts thereafter, but this is a good start to the second term!”

Once the league phase of the competition is wrapped up the knockout phase begins, all 4 Welsh University sides will feature in the knockout phase of the competition. UWIC will enter the BUCS Trophy where they will be up against teams from the Premier North and Premier South as well as the teams finishing 5^th to 8^th in the new Super 8 League. Swansea have achieved a place in the BUCS shield, and Aberystwyth and Glamorgan hope to join them there, or else take up a place in the lesser SRL Plate.

A good performance against Premier Division opposition will further strengthen UWIC’s case for promotion to the Premier South, which will then give them the opportunity to enter a 2nds team in the Wales and West League. It goes a long way to show how the sport is developing in Wales that UWIC have enough players to field 2 strong teams, and shows the growing enthusiasm for the game at grass roots level. There are a lot of talented players at University level in Wales, and many hope to be included in the Wales Student Squad that is due to be announced in the coming weeks.

Much emphasis recently has been placed on the excellent new “Development Pathway” from the Valley Cougars to the South Wales Scorprions and then onto the Crusaders, and there has quite rightly been a lot of effort put into the “top end” of the game in Wales which should be applauded. But grassroots is the key to sustainable success. Many of the stars of the future won’t start off at the Cougars or Scorpions but rather in the Universities and Welsh Conference, investment and effort needs to be put into all levels of the game in order to achieve long term sustained success, and provide a conveyor belt of quality home-grown Welsh talent.

Published on the Offical Wales Rugby League website 27/01/11