Cardiff Rugby Under-16s North and South will clash at the Arms Park this evening before combining for the Regional Age-Grade Championships.

During the opening weeks of the block, in which North have won two from three and South two from two, plenty of talent has been on show and assessed at a key development stage.

Now, Stu Bradfield, the club’s Emerging Player Programme / Under-16 District lead, is relishing the opportunity to see the Blue & Blacks go head-to-head. 

He said: “The North and South have been good so far. Obviously it’s a culmination of coming in as 15-year-olds last year, making sure we’ve got some key players and they have then transitioned into the Dewar Shield schools programme and from there into our 16s North and South.

“It’s probably not so much based on performance at this stage.  It’s a very different mentality around this stage, more around long-term potential, making sure we challenge players more than winning games. 

“We want to develop players, stretch them, see how they react. Have they got that mentality to work hard? Because that’s a good indicator going forward into the Under 18s or a senior academy program. 

“It’s such a short program but I’ve been really impressed with both the North and South, how they’ve come together, putting some really good performances so far. 

“So it will be an interesting game. I don’t really know what the outcome is going to be but I know both teams have prepped really well and know this is an important fixture.

“It’s not going to decide anything going forward but it is good to some of the players going head-to-head and how they react.”

Following the Cardiff clash, a combined squad will be selected ahead of the RAG U16s Championships 

Bradfield continued: “From there we’ll sit down with coaches, talk to the players who we think have real future potential. Some of the players are actually stand out now, some of them might be slow burners, some might have some physical difference, but they need some developing and that’s where we come in to support them.

“There should be some real competitive games against the other regions and it’s almost like starting again because you can’t look at any of the previous games and say who was strong because they are going through the same process.

“My role is also out there watching players who might not have made the initial north and south, keeping track of them, who’s tracking well, who can come in. Because again, there’s always opportunities. It’s not a linear pathway. It’s not one route all the way through. People come in, people come out, people develop at different times, people change positions.”

It’s been a whirlwind 12 months since Bradfield taking up the position with financial challenges and structural changes dominating the headlines. 

But he has been blown away by the breadth of talent through the Cardiff Rugby pathway, something being demonstrated within the current Wales U20s set-up. 

And it all points to a clear and aligned pathway to the professional game with more players being watched by more eyes in the right environment. 

He added: “It’s an exciting time. I’ve been here a year now so I’ve seen these boys at U15s as part of my role. We’ve also held five masterclasses, putting some of the standout 15 and 16-year-olds in together, in front of some of our senior academy coaches, so Josh Turnbull, Dan Fish, Craig Everett, Saul Nelson, so they get eyes on as well.

“In talent ID you need as many eyes and as many people looking at players. I might have a bias towards certain players or playing styles so it’s good to get those guys involved and it’s had a positive impact on the players. 

“They’ve been able to come down, use the gym, the facilities and work with the best coaches we have available. JT is obviously with the 20s currently but for him to come in and do tackle and breakdown work with these guys is brilliant. 

“They feel engaged and hopefully that helps us long term.  I always think if you’ve got a local boy playing for their local club, it means a lot more to that player sometimes and they give that a little bit more on the pitch. 

“But I’ve really enjoyed it so far. The people are great, everyone’s got their opinion on rugby, whether that’s right or wrong, but everyone’s got an opinion which is good. 

“The kids are more talented at a younger age than I saw in my previous role. It’s just making sure we support those players through this journey, that they feel part of the journey and we win the hearts and minds of their parents.

“Everything can seem bit doom and gloom in Welsh rugby, but internally, it’s been real positive. You only have to look at some of the players coming through and how they’re developing.”