Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf – a school that has long supplied talent into the Cardiff Rugby pathway – finally earned their moment of glory at Principality Stadium, lifting the WSC Rugby U18 Cup after a dramatic 28–26 victory over Coleg y Cymoedd.
Two years on from their final defeat, and twelve months after falling in the semi-finals, Glantaf delivered the performance that their unbeaten season had promised. Four tries apiece told the story of a breathless contest, but it was the composure of several rising Cardiff prospects – none more so than Wales U19 centre Bailey Cutts – that ultimately proved decisive.
Glantaf stormed to a 21–0 lead through a blistering seven-minute spell of attacking rugby that typifies their link with the Cardiff system: tempo, ambition and attacking intent. Yet, just as they had in the regular season (a 29–29 draw), Cymoedd refused to go quietly, dragging the deficit back to 21–19 and pushing Glantaf to the very edge.
Cutts’ 17-point haul was crucial, but so too were the contributions of several players who have featured throughout Cardiff age-grade setups. Joe Fernandez, Harry Kinsey, Will Adams and hooker Elgan Williams all delivered moments of real quality – moments that have become familiar sightings across Cardiff pathway fixtures.
The ‘Glantaf Way’ on the big stage
Cymoedd arrived with power and intent, claiming early territory and even crossing the line through Jack Piontecki before the score was ruled out. But once Glantaf found space for Fernandez on the right, the game opened up – and the Cardiff-style offloading game sparked into life.
A turnover line-out inside their own 22 triggered a sweeping movement that saw Cutts put Kinsey into space, before Adams arrived on the perfect inside line to score under the posts.
Moments later, Glantaf turned sustained pressure into a timely score: kick to the corner, clinical drive, Williams crashing over.
Their third try was pure rugby – pace, width, and soft hands. Cutts and Adams kept the ball alive under pressure before Fernandez finished superbly. Cutts’ touchline conversion, which later separated the sides, was struck with the confidence of a player who has shone in Cardiff colours throughout the youth system.
Cymoedd fight back
Coleg y Cymoedd, with plenty of regional pedigree of their own, showed enormous character. Devon Shorney’s try on the stroke of half-time shifted momentum, and when Ioan Leyshon and Rhys Wyatt struck in quick succession during the second half, the contest was suddenly balanced at 21–19.
Glantaf were briefly rattled, and a misfire at a five-metre line-out gifted Cymoedd a reprieve – but that resilience that has marked their season returned when it mattered most.
Daniels seals it
With five minutes left, Glantaf rebuilt field position and turned to their forwards to hammer away at the Cymoedd line. From the base, scrum-half Mason Daniels sniped down the blindside to score a vital fourth try.
Cutts – ice-cold again – nailed the conversion to put Glantaf clear of Cymoedd.
Cymoedd fly-half Ben Coomer crossed and converted in the final play, but Glantaf had already done enough to earn their place in the competition’s history. They become only the fifth side in 15 years to win the title, and just the second school (after Llandovery College) to lift it.
For Cardiff Rugby supporters, the final was a powerful reminder of the strength flowing through the region’s development pathway – with several names to remember from yesterday’s final.
