RGC – Cardiff team news

Cardiff RFC will kick-off the inaugural Super Rygbi Cymru season with a trip to RGC on Saturday afternoon (2:30pm).

The Blue and Blacks head to Stadiwm CSM to face Rygbi Gogledd Cymru (RGC) and will be aiming to start the new season on the front foot by securing an opening day win which last came in 2022.

This fixture will also mark Dan Fish’s first competitive game as the Blue and Blacks head coach.

Team News

1 Rhys Barratt

2 Alun Rees

3 Joe Cowell

4 Craig Hudd

5 Sean Moore (Capt)

6 Gwilym Bradley

7 Lucas de la Rua

8 Benji Williams

9 Sion Davies

10 Harri Wilde

11 Dewi Cross

12 Jason Harries

13 Elijah Evans

14 Tom Bowen

15 Matty Young

16 Gavin Parry

17 Marc Thomas

18 Tom Harper

19 Evan Rees

20 Tom Rice

21 Joe Williams

22 Osian Darwin-Lewis

23 Joe Goodchild

Speaking ahead of the fixture club Captain for the 2024/25 season, Sean Moore said: “The boys are really excited to get the season underway this weekend. It’s been a tough pre-season with two tough games which have been great for us to see where we are as a group. And we are hoping to start with winning ways come Saturday.

“I can’t say many boys will be looking forward to that bus journey up and back but it’s something we’ve got to get on with and just prepare as best we can.

“They’re a team who enjoy to throw the ball about and play some good running rugby which is what we intend to do as well. So it’s going to be a tough old game to get our season underway.

“It would be great to get a win to start the season and it’s never an easy place to go. It would be a great starting point for us as a squad to kick on for a tough season in the new league,” he concluded.

Closer look at our opposition

RGC finished last season’s Indigo Premiership on 40 points in eleventh place having won six of their 24 matches.

It’s been a summer of change for the Gogs as former Performance Manager Josh Leach has stepped up from his previous role to become the new Director of Rugby following the departure of Ceri Jones.

The Gogs began preparation for the upcoming season with three pre-season games. They first played Merseyside’s Caldy RFC and lost 26-24 before back-to-back wins against Bethesda RFC (57-10) and Swansea University (59-7).

Over the course of pre-season, Leach announced four new signings, with one of the more eye-catching ones being Billy McBryde from English Championship side, Doncaster Knights.

Remember the last meeting?

We last travelled to Stadiwm CSM for a 5:30pm kick-off at the end of 2023 where the conditions were not favourable as both sides could not get going.

A first half try from Efan Jones accompanied by fullback Sam Earl-Jones who added nine points from the tee saw RGC record a 14-9 win.

Also, late on in the match and after bringing in the TMO referee, Ben Connor awarded the Gogs captain Afon Bagshaw a red card after making direct contact with Dewi Cross’s head.

With the clock in the red Harrison James added a penalty conversion to secure the Blue and Blacks a losing bonus point as they finished 2023 with a defeat.

Head-to-Head Record

There have been 16 matches played between the two sides and historically against the Blue and Blacks RGC have struggled, winning four of their 16 meetings since their first meeting in 2011.

The biggest away win for the Blue and Blacks at Stadiwm CSM came in 2022 when they won, 52-29. Try scorers on that day were Alun Rees, Sean Moore, Alex Everett, Morgan Allen, Cameron Winnett, Ryan Wilkins and Ellis Bevan.

The Blue and Blacks kick-off of their campaign away from home for the fifth consecutive season where they aim to make an impressive start to life in Super Rygbi Cymru.

For those unable to make the journey to Colwyn Bay Saturday afternoon you can stay up-to-date with the action by following our live updates across our social media channels (X, Facebook and Instagram).