Cardiff Rugby U18s are ready to kick-off their assault on the WRU Regional Age-Grade championships when they take on the Dragons in Ystrad Mynach on Sunday.
The young Blue & Blacks have fallen at the final hurdle in the last two campaigns, suffering heartbreak against the Ospreys at the end of last season following an unbeaten run to the final
As ever the balance between winning and development is a crucial one to strike, and the age-grade set-up will continue to prioritise individual opportunities and progress, but Saul Nelson is relishing the new season and has a renewed appetite to win.
He said: “We kick-off against the Dragons on Sunday before hosting the Ospreys a week later, and as a group of staff we are really excited for the challenges ahead that our players will face.
“In any competition or game you play, you want to win. I don’t know anyone who plays, played or coaches that doesn’t think the same. But while winning is important it’s not the be all – we work in performance development.
“The RAG competition is fantastic. We have seen a large number of boys use it as a stepping stone into the senior academy, Wales U20s, Cardiff RFC and the senior squad. It’s something we as coaches are all very proud of.”
With the Cardiff age-grade and academy set-up continuing to provide substantial numbers to representative teams, a wider U18s group has trained through the summer, giving more players, more opportunities to accelerate their development.
10 of the 31 players to represent Wales U18s at an international development festival in Scotland last weekend were from Cardiff Rugby.
This is something Nelson believes has been hugely beneficial across the board with players enjoying exposure at higher levels before bringing that experience back.
He continued: “We were able to run pre-season across two blocks with the first starting at the end of June focused on increasing our skill and physical conditioning. This allowed us a lot more time with the wider squad and prepared the group well for a more rugby focused second block.
“We had good numbers involved with Wales Under-18s last week. Three of those boys will be involved with Cardiff RFC this weekend as part of their player development programmes and they will be back in for week two for the Ospreys home game.
“These are great opportunities for them to experience senior rugby early or international age-grade rugby and the aim is for them to bring back those experiences into the RAG block and influence the wider of the group.
“All of the Cardiff boys went well with Wales U18s and the experience of training with lads from other regions, and against other national sides, is not only a great opportunity for them but a good indicator of where they are against counterparts.
“The standard of our sessions has seen a marked increase since they returned so it’s had a really positive effect that we’d hoped for.
“I feel like we are in a good place to start the games. The staff and the squad are excited about getting up and running. Dragons away will be a fantastic challenge to start our RAG campaign with no game in this competition being easy. Each game will be taken as they come and we look forward to attacking each of them positively in the way we look to perform.”
Cardiff U18s squad
| Oliver Northmore | Coleg Y Cymoedd | Merthyr RFC |
| Max Evans | Whitchurch High School | None |
| Cian McGee | Cardiff and vale college | Bedwas RFC |
| Finlay Evans | Glantaf | Cardiff Quins |
| Max randell | CAVC | St Albans |
| Gethin Evans | Ysgol Glantaf | Pontypridd RFC |
| Lukas Williams | Y Pant Comprehensive school | Pontyclun RFC |
| Theo Poole | CYC | Ystrad Rhondda |
| Lewis Kinsey | Glantaf | Pontypridd RFC |
| Cooper White | Bridgend collage | Ystard Rhondda |
| Cian Sterio | SGS college | St Peter’s rfc |
| Jacob Allen | Christ College Brecon | Brecon |
| Zack Payne | Eastern High School | St Albans RFC |
| Jack Evans | Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg | Penarth |
| Gray Shanahan | Bro edern | St albans |
| Cairion Savage | Coleg Cymoedd | Mountain Ash |
| Jack Roberts | Plasmawr | Pentyrch |
| William Creed-King | Crickhowell HS | Abergavenny |
| Max phillips | St Cyres | Penarth rfc |
| Efan Mitchell | Ysgol Gymraeg bro Morgannwg | Penarth rfc |
| Efan Jenkins | Glantaf | Cardiff Quins |
| Ellis Cambourne | Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun | Nelson RFC |
| Bowen Thomas | Crickhowell HS (Christ College Brecon – September 2026) | Abergavenny RFC |
| Beau Bloue Cantwell | Tonyrefail community | Tonyrefail |
| Caiden Harrigan | Cardiff and vale college | St Peter’s |
| James Mitchell | Christ College Brecon | Abergavenny RFC |
| Ieuan Taylor | Cardiff High School | St Peters RFC |
| Trystan Coates | Infinite college | Penarth rfc |
| Iestyn stephens | Cardiff and Vale College | Bedwas RFC |
| Evan Jones | Ysgol Glantaf | Merthyr rfc |
| Thomas Langley | Christ College Brecon | Old Penarthians |
| Garin Davies | Tonyrefail community school | Tonyrefail rfc |
| Josh Greyling | Cathedral school llandaff | Penarth |
| Mason Evans | Tonyrefail community school | Tonyrefail |
| Jack Charmers | Cymoedd | Porth |
| Osian Leeke | CAVC | Cowbridge RFC |
| Jack Evans | Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg | Penarth |
| Sam Brookes | Whitchurch High School | Llanishen rfc |
| Ffredi Easterby | Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg | Cowbridge RFC |
| Liam Williams | Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg | Penarth |
| Owen Lewis | Cymoedd | Llantwit Fardre |
| George Thomas | Cymoedd | Porth |
| Alex Ballinger | Cymoedd | Beddau |
| Isaac Burke | Cymoedd | Pontyclun |
| Evan hughes | Cymoedd | Glifach Goch |
| Adam Oaten | Cymoedd | Pontyclun |
| Will Watkins | Y Pant Comprehensive school | Pontyclun |
| Issac Jones | Glantaf | Aberdare |
| Devon Morris | Bro Edern | St Peters |
| Harri Lewis | Llandovery | Pontyclun |
| Lois Allen | Whitchurch High School | Rhiwbina |
| Ollie Matthews | Garth Olwg | Pontypridd |
| Fin Britton | Whitchurch High School | Rhiwbina |
WRU REGIONAL ACADEMY U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS – PHASE 1
Round 1 – Sunday 16 August
DRAGONS v CARDIFF – Ystrad Mynach 2.30 pm
OSPREYS v SCARLETS – The Gnoll 2.30 pm
BYE: RGC
Round 2 – Sunday 23 August
SCARLETS v RGC – Llandovery 2.30 pm
CARDIFF v OSPREYS – Arms Park 2.30 pm
BYE: Dragons
Round 3 – Sunday 30 August
RGC v CARDIFF – Parc Eirias 2.30 pm
OSPREYS v DRAGONS – The Gnoll 2.30 pm
BYE: Scarlets
Round 4 – Sunday 6 September
DRAGONS v RGC – Ystrad Mynach 2.30 pm
CARDIFF v SCARLETS – Arms Park 2.30 pm
BYE: Ospreys
Round 5 – Sunday 13 September
RGC v OSPREYS – Parc Eirias 2.30 pm
SCARLETS v DRAGONS – Llandovery 2.30 pm
BYE: Cardiff
FINALS -Thursday 4 February