Cardiff Blues
Encyclopedia
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh
regional rugby union
teams. Based in Cardiff
, the capital of Wales
, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club
.
Cardiff Blues are responsible for developing rugby union in the city of Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan
, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil
and south Powys
.
The Cardiff Blues compete in the RaboDirect Pro12
, which includes teams from the Celtic nations
of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as Italy. In addition, Cardiff Blues compete in the Anglo-Welsh EDF Energy Cup
and the European Heineken Cup
. The Cardiff Blues have qualified for the Heineken Cup every season, and won the 2008–09 EDF Energy Cup and the 2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup.
The teams main sponsor is currently EADS
. The Cardiff Blues kit is manufactured by Canterbury of New Zealand
.
and French Top 14 club systems. However, by the 2002–03 season it was clear for financial reasons that Wales could not support nine professional teams.
In a process instigated by the then CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union
(WRU), David Moffett
, the nine clubs began the process of organising themselves into "regional" teams
.
An agreement was reached whereby Cardiff RFC would be allowed to form a "standalone" club, meaning that they would not have to amalgamate with any of the other 8 professional clubs. As a result, Cardiff RFC created the Cardiff Blues and a launch event took place at the Cardiff Hilton
on 6 June 2003.
and Northampton Saints
and a Celtic League game against Glasgow
. By the end of 2003, they had lost 12 matches and only won three (against Connacht
, Leinster
and Ospreys), all the wins coming at home. Increasingly, there were calls for head coach Dai Young
to step down.
The 43–6 win over Ospreys was notable for the performance of fireman Lee Abdul. The semi-professional had been brought into the squad as cover during the 2003 Rugby World Cup
and scored a record four tries from the wing. Unfortunately for Abdul, he suffered a serious injury in the next home game against the Newport Gwent Dragons
.
In January the Cardiff Blues recorded Heineken Cup
victories over English club Sale
and French side Biarritz Olympique
. The temporary signing of former Australian international Matt Cockbain
seemed to revitalise the side, and his brief stay coincided with a six match unbeaten run which lasted until a dour 0–6 loss to the Llanelli Scarlets
in March. Cardiff Blues finished the season as the lowest ranked Welsh club in the Celtic League having only managed one win against another Welsh side. They were however the highest try scorers in the league, scoring 73 tries.
to be removed intensified between November and January when the team went eight games without recording a victory. Following the 15–38 loss to Stade Français Paris
the players were booed from the field by their own supporters.
Finishing in a low position in the league meant that in order to qualify for the Heineken Cup, Cardiff Blues had to compete in a play-off game against the third place Italian side Arix Viadana. Cardiff Blues won this game 38–9, thus qualifying for the Heineken Cup through what the media described as the cat flap
. This was only the second away win of the season, and the governing body made plans to ensure that performance on the field would dramatically improve the following season.
was among several new signings who gave the squad a much stronger look on paper. Also, a new custom built training head-quarters was established at Hensol in the outskirts of Cardiff. Previously the team had been training on public fields and in public gyms.
There was further reason for optimism when the Heineken Cup draw was announced. Cardiff Blues were matched with Italian minnows Calvisano
, notoriously poor travellers USA Perpignan
and the Leeds Tykes
. Many believed that Cardiff Blues had a golden opportunity of finally making the Heineken Cup quarter finals.
Results did not improve immediately, with the 37–20 win over Saracens
in October 2005 the highlight to a disappointing start to the season. However in the prematch announcement it was confirmed that rugby legend Jonah Lomu
had agreed to join Cardiff Blues on a temporary basis as he tried to rebuild his career in time for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
Lomu was recovering from a kidney transplant, but the signing gave notice of the team's renewed ambition. His home debut versus Calvisano was greeted by a capacity crowd and the signing was regarded as a marketing masterstroke. Results improved with wins over the Ospreys and the Newport Gwent Dragons in December.
In January 2006 the Cardiff Blues were knocked out of the Heineken Cup after losing 3–21 at home to Perpignan and then losing 3–48 to the relegation threatened Leeds Tykes. This formed part of a 5 match losing run, coinciding with the loss through injury of outside half Nicky Robinson. The poor run prompted the management to issue "final warnings" to under performing players.
As had been the case in the two previous seasons, results improved in the latter months of the season, and in May, the Celtic League attendance record was broken when 15,327 watched Cardiff Blues beat Leinster 40–31 at the Millennium Stadium. The Cardiff Blues finished the league in 4th; the highest placed Welsh team.
, further enhanced the quality of the Cardiff Blues squad for the 2006–07 season. Several young players from the regional academy also became established players, including Chris Czekaj
and Duane Goodfield. The emergence of other highly tipped young players (notably Bradley Davies and Tom James) encouraged the belief that Cardiff Blues can soon start challenging for major honours. London Wasps
, Saracens and London Irish
were all defeated in the EDF Cup group stages, however the Ospreys defeated the Cardiff Blues 27–10 in the semi final at the Millennium Stadium
on March 24, 2007.
In the Heineken Cup, Cardiff Blues recorded their first win in France, beating Bourgoin
13–5. For their next game, the Cardiff Blues again played at the Millennium Stadium. This time hosting Leicester Tigers, they attracted their highest ever Heineken Cup crowd, with 26,309 spectators attending the game, although they lost they game by 17 points to 21 after being down to 14 men for a long period of the game. Cardiff Blues were finally knocked out of the Heineken Cup after successive losses to the champions, Munster
, despite respectable performances (particularly at Munster's Thomond Park).
Cardiff Blues fared better in the domestic league, finishing second after having beaten Leinster at home to go top of the league, only for the Ospreys to win at Borders the next day to claim the title.
The Cardiff Blues responded to the defeat against Leinster with an away victory over Munster, only the second time in the history of the Celtic League that the Cardiff Blues maintained their position at the top of the league. The following week saw a 30–16 home victory against Connacht, with Gareth Thomas making his first appearance in Cardiff Blues colours, coming on off the bench after 50 minutes to replace wing Rhys Williams.
The Cardiff Blues once again finished 2nd in the Celtic League.
progressing to the semi-finals as a result of having gained a bonus point in every pool match.
on April 6.
Subsequently, Aled Brew has been loaned to Newport Gwent Dragons.
The Cardiff Blues went on to win the final at Twickenham, 50–12 against Gloucester in a brilliant performance.
. This was followed by a bonus point 37–24 win against Gloucester at the Millennium Stadium
. A crowd of 27,114 set a new record for a Heineken Cup pool stage game for the Welsh region. The Cardiff Blues then claimed back-to-back victories over Biarritz
in December, winning 21–17 at home followed by a 6–10 victory away.
Following the Christmas break, the Cardiff Blues recorded an away 12–16 victory over Gloucester despite being reduced to 14 men after Tom James
was sent-off for a head butt on Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam
. The final round of pool games saw the Cardiff Blues face Calvisano at home. A bonus point 62–20 win ensured that the Cardiff Blues remained the only unbeaten team in the pool stages of the 2008–09 Heineken Cup with the Cardiff Blues claiming the top seed and a home quarter-final.
The quarter-final against eighth seed and three-times Heineken Cup winners Toulouse
was played in the Millennium Stadium
with another record attendance of 36,778. The Cardiff Blues claimed a 9–6 victory in a defence dominated game. The semi-final against Leicester Tigers
was also hosted at the Millennium Stadium. Despite being 12–26 down with six minutes remaining, the Cardiff Blues mounted a comeback tie the scores at 26–26 after 80 minutes and force extra time. With no further score in the 20 minutes of extra time, the game was forced into an historic penalty kick decider. The Cardiff Blues were defeated 7–6 following missed kicks by Tom James and Martyn Williams
.
, the Cardiff Blues finished fifth in the table, one point out of the playoffs; but secured a place in the 2010–11 Heineken Cup as the second-placed Welsh team. Their Heineken Cup
campaign ended after the pool stage, in which they finished second to Toulouse
and were not one of the two top second-place teams. However, this season was the first in which three second-place teams from the Heineken Cup parachuted into the European Challenge Cup
, and the Cardiff Blues were one of three teams to qualify. They crushed Newcastle Falcons
55–20 in the quarterfinals and edged London Wasps
18–15, both on the road, to reach the final of the competition
. The Cardiff Blues became the first Welsh side to win a European trophy after beating Toulon
28–21 in the final on 23 May at Stade Vélodrome
in Marseille
.
after not making the grade at outside half, the Blues signed Dan Parks
of Glasgow Warriors
and a Scottish International. He is the current record points scorer in the Celtic League.
The Cardiff Blues also re-signed Xavier Rush
. After declaring his move to Ulster earlier in the season, Rush because of a change in personal matters wanted to stay at the Blues. Although he had signed a contract with Ulster, he managed to negotiate a release from this to continue his career with the Blues.
Another Kiwi has been signed by Cardiff in the summer, Michael Paterson
from the Super 14 side the Hurricanes, where he played either in the second row or on the blindside. Press reports in New Zealand at the time of the signing indicated that he was on the fringes of the All-Black squad.
Cardiff Blues have also signed three English based Welshmen – two from Doncaster Knights, Bryn Griffiths (second row) and Tom Davies (prop) and one from London Welsh, Tom Brown (No.8).
Cardiff Blues released Andy Powell after he "lost his way" after the golf buggy incident whilst on international duty with Wales. Cardiff Blues have also released a number of squad players in the summer including Robin Sowden-Taylor (Dragons), Scott Morgan (Dragons) and Dai Flanagan (Ospreys).
colours of Cambridge blue and black. The kit for the subsequent season was a variation of these colours with white being used as an alternative strip in the case of a colour clash with the opposition.
In 2006, Cardiff Blues changed their playing strip in a decision widely interpreted as a move away from the old Cardiff RFC identity, as for the first time black was not included alongside the blue.
For the 2010/2011 season the home strip was changed to a darker blue, with only small amounts of the traditional light blue remaining; this again may be seen as a move to establish the Blues an identity that is separate from Cardiff RFC
.
.
There were repeated calls for Cardiff Blues to drop the "Cardiff" part of their name in order to sever links with the old Cardiff RFC identity and to move away from the traditional light blue kit worn by CRFC. Proponents of this idea point to the Super 14
tournament where teams such as the Bulls
and Crusaders play with no geographic locator in their name. These calls intensified when the Celtic Warriors
regional team was dissolved in 2004, bringing old rivals Pontypridd
within the catchment area of the Cardiff Blues region. However, there was significant opposition to any such move within the ranks of the club, given that the Cardiff club had won standalone status at a cost of £1,000,000 when the rebranding took place in 2003 (No other club or company have been involved with Cardiff RFC Ltd.
Cardiff Blues are responsible for assisting the development of rugby in an area covering the City of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan
, the eastern Glamorgan
valleys and Breconshire.
Initially, the Cardiff Blues' region covered only the City of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan
. However, this was expanded upon the demise of the Celtic Warriors region after one season. Cardiff RFC Ltd employ development officers who work with schools and clubs across the region and run a rugby academy for elite players aged 16 and above.
The first Cardiff Blues home game at the new stadium was a friendly to Leicester RFC which they lost 5–14, the attendance was 16,000
According to the club, the Cardiff Blues and Cardiff City will "share a joint ticket office together with joint branding at the stadium". The Management Committee of Cardiff Athletic Club
, (who own Cardiff Arms Park and 28% of Cardiff Rugby Ltd,) have recently voted (voted without consulting the 1,700+ members, a vote which led eventually to the ain MC members standing down after an EGM to be replaced by a more member orientated committee) to support the move to the new stadium. The initial heads of terms agreement is for a 20-year licence. However, the company still has fifteen years left on its existing lease at the Arms Park and are currently using it for Cardiff RFC Premiership matches.
Previously the Cardiff Blues played their home games at the Cardiff Arms Park
, situated next to the Millennium Stadium
, and for some bigger games, Cardiff Blues have played at the Millennium Stadium.
since they were founded, until the summer of 2011 when he moved to London Wasps. The Blues are currently coached by Young's former assistants, Wales sevens coach Gareth Baber
and former Academy manager Justin Burnell
.
(
Doncaster
) Bryn Griffiths
(released) Ben White ( Exeter Chiefs
) Tom Brown
(
Newport Gwent Dragons
) Tom Slater ( Bristol
) James Loxton ( Connacht
)
touring squads while playing for the Cardiff Blues.
* Includes 2 "Free Weekends" which equated to 4 points each.
ERC statistics show that the team has played 92 games in Europe as 1st Cardiff RFC then as Cardiff Blues(from the start of 2010/2011 season) while the Cardiff Blues' muddled marketing only includes the period since 2003 - 49 games.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
regional rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams. Based in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, the capital of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
.
Cardiff Blues are responsible for developing rugby union in the city of Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
and south Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
.
The Cardiff Blues compete in the RaboDirect Pro12
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, which includes teams from the Celtic nations
Celtic nations
The Celtic nations are territories in North-West Europe in which that area's own Celtic languages and some cultural traits have survived.The term "nation" is used in its original sense to mean a people who share a common traditional identity and culture and are identified with a traditional...
of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as Italy. In addition, Cardiff Blues compete in the Anglo-Welsh EDF Energy Cup
EDF Energy Cup
The Anglo-Welsh Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the LV Cup , is an English and Welsh rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the twelve Aviva Premiership clubs and four Welsh Regions...
and the European Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
. The Cardiff Blues have qualified for the Heineken Cup every season, and won the 2008–09 EDF Energy Cup and the 2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup.
The teams main sponsor is currently EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
. The Cardiff Blues kit is manufactured by Canterbury of New Zealand
Canterbury of New Zealand
Canterbury of New Zealand is a New Zealand-based sports apparel company that focuses on rugby football. The company is named after the Canterbury area in New Zealand where the company started to make knitwear. Other than producing rugby kits, the brand is also known for their rugby protective wear...
.
Formation
Until the beginning of the 2003–04 season, Welsh rugby was organised in a typical league pyramid, at the top of which were 9 professional clubs. The system was similar to the English Guinness PremiershipGuinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
and French Top 14 club systems. However, by the 2002–03 season it was clear for financial reasons that Wales could not support nine professional teams.
In a process instigated by the then CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
(WRU), David Moffett
David Moffett
David Moffett is an executive businessman who was notably the Group Chief Executive of the Welsh Rugby Union from 2002 until 2005 and Australia's National Rugby League from 1999 until 2001.-Biography:...
, the nine clubs began the process of organising themselves into "regional" teams
Introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales
The introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales occurred prior to the start of the 2003/04 rugby union season. From this date, Wales was represented by a smaller number of regional teams in both the Celtic League and European Cup competitions, where previously the top club sides were...
.
An agreement was reached whereby Cardiff RFC would be allowed to form a "standalone" club, meaning that they would not have to amalgamate with any of the other 8 professional clubs. As a result, Cardiff RFC created the Cardiff Blues and a launch event took place at the Cardiff Hilton
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
on 6 June 2003.
2003–04
Cardiff Blues lost their first three matches, including friendlies against Leicester TigersLeicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
and Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
and a Celtic League game against Glasgow
Glasgow Warriors
The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
. By the end of 2003, they had lost 12 matches and only won three (against Connacht
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...
, Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
and Ospreys), all the wins coming at home. Increasingly, there were calls for head coach Dai Young
Dai Young
David "Dai" Young is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league player, presently Director of Rugby at London Wasps.Born in Aberdare in 1967, Young lived in Penywaun for many years, and was regularly seen training with his father on the local sports field, now occupied by the Welsh-language...
to step down.
The 43–6 win over Ospreys was notable for the performance of fireman Lee Abdul. The semi-professional had been brought into the squad as cover during the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
and scored a record four tries from the wing. Unfortunately for Abdul, he suffered a serious injury in the next home game against the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
.
In January the Cardiff Blues recorded Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
victories over English club Sale
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
and French side Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
. The temporary signing of former Australian international Matt Cockbain
Matt Cockbain
Matt Cockbain is an Australian rugby union footballer. He played over 60 times for the national team, the Wallabies. He made his debut for Australia in 1997 in Brisbane, in a Test match against France....
seemed to revitalise the side, and his brief stay coincided with a six match unbeaten run which lasted until a dour 0–6 loss to the Llanelli Scarlets
Llanelli Scarlets
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Llanelli, south-west Wales the team play at the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, as well as competing in the LV= Cup and the Heineken Cup...
in March. Cardiff Blues finished the season as the lowest ranked Welsh club in the Celtic League having only managed one win against another Welsh side. They were however the highest try scorers in the league, scoring 73 tries.
2004–05
Cardiff Blues finished the Celtic League 9th place, and recorded only one win in the Heineken Cup. Calls for Head Coach Dai YoungDai Young
David "Dai" Young is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league player, presently Director of Rugby at London Wasps.Born in Aberdare in 1967, Young lived in Penywaun for many years, and was regularly seen training with his father on the local sports field, now occupied by the Welsh-language...
to be removed intensified between November and January when the team went eight games without recording a victory. Following the 15–38 loss to Stade Français Paris
Stade Français Paris
Stade Français CASG is a French professional rugby union club based in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The club plays in the Top 14 domestic league in France and is one of the most successful French clubs of the modern era....
the players were booed from the field by their own supporters.
Finishing in a low position in the league meant that in order to qualify for the Heineken Cup, Cardiff Blues had to compete in a play-off game against the third place Italian side Arix Viadana. Cardiff Blues won this game 38–9, thus qualifying for the Heineken Cup through what the media described as the cat flap
Cat flap
A cat flap or cat door is a hinged flap set into a door, wall or window to allow cats to enter and exit a house on their own without needing a human to open the door, while offering a degree of protection against wind and rain entering the dwelling...
. This was only the second away win of the season, and the governing body made plans to ensure that performance on the field would dramatically improve the following season.
2005–06
In the summer of 2005 funds were finally made available to sign new players allowing Dai Young to start rebuild the side. Former New Zealand No.8 Xavier RushXavier Rush
Xavier Joseph Rush is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a former All Black and currently plays professional rugby in Wales for RaboDirect Pro12 side Cardiff Blues where he is the former captain...
was among several new signings who gave the squad a much stronger look on paper. Also, a new custom built training head-quarters was established at Hensol in the outskirts of Cardiff. Previously the team had been training on public fields and in public gyms.
There was further reason for optimism when the Heineken Cup draw was announced. Cardiff Blues were matched with Italian minnows Calvisano
Rugby Calvisano
Rugby Calvisano are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in National Championship of Excellence.They are based in Calvisano , in Lombardy....
, notoriously poor travellers USA Perpignan
USA Perpignan
Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French...
and the Leeds Tykes
Leeds Tykes
Leeds Carnegie is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, currently playing in the RFU Championship. In recent years, they have bounced between the Premiership and the second-level National Division One, now known as the RFU Championship; they were either promoted or relegated...
. Many believed that Cardiff Blues had a golden opportunity of finally making the Heineken Cup quarter finals.
Results did not improve immediately, with the 37–20 win over Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
in October 2005 the highlight to a disappointing start to the season. However in the prematch announcement it was confirmed that rugby legend Jonah Lomu
Jonah Lomu
Jonah Tali Lomu, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union player. He had sixty-three caps as an All Black after debuting in 1994. He is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union. He has had a huge impact on the game...
had agreed to join Cardiff Blues on a temporary basis as he tried to rebuild his career in time for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
.
Lomu was recovering from a kidney transplant, but the signing gave notice of the team's renewed ambition. His home debut versus Calvisano was greeted by a capacity crowd and the signing was regarded as a marketing masterstroke. Results improved with wins over the Ospreys and the Newport Gwent Dragons in December.
In January 2006 the Cardiff Blues were knocked out of the Heineken Cup after losing 3–21 at home to Perpignan and then losing 3–48 to the relegation threatened Leeds Tykes. This formed part of a 5 match losing run, coinciding with the loss through injury of outside half Nicky Robinson. The poor run prompted the management to issue "final warnings" to under performing players.
As had been the case in the two previous seasons, results improved in the latter months of the season, and in May, the Celtic League attendance record was broken when 15,327 watched Cardiff Blues beat Leinster 40–31 at the Millennium Stadium. The Cardiff Blues finished the league in 4th; the highest placed Welsh team.
2006–07
More signings, including former New Zealand fullback Ben BlairBen Blair
Ben Austin Blair is a rugby union footballer who plays at a full-back for the Cardiff Blues, and previously played six games for the All Blacks. On his All Blacks debut in 2001, he scored 37 points against Ireland A at Ravenhill in Belfast, however as this was not a test match he was not capped...
, further enhanced the quality of the Cardiff Blues squad for the 2006–07 season. Several young players from the regional academy also became established players, including Chris Czekaj
Chris Czekaj
Chris Czekaj is a Wales international rugby union player, who plays on the wing for Cardiff Blues. He scored a try on his Wales debut in June 2005, having only come into the Cardiff Blues side a month earlier following a starring role in the Grand Slam winning Wales Under 21 side.The name Czekaj...
and Duane Goodfield. The emergence of other highly tipped young players (notably Bradley Davies and Tom James) encouraged the belief that Cardiff Blues can soon start challenging for major honours. London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
, Saracens and London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
were all defeated in the EDF Cup group stages, however the Ospreys defeated the Cardiff Blues 27–10 in the semi final at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
on March 24, 2007.
In the Heineken Cup, Cardiff Blues recorded their first win in France, beating Bourgoin
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club...
13–5. For their next game, the Cardiff Blues again played at the Millennium Stadium. This time hosting Leicester Tigers, they attracted their highest ever Heineken Cup crowd, with 26,309 spectators attending the game, although they lost they game by 17 points to 21 after being down to 14 men for a long period of the game. Cardiff Blues were finally knocked out of the Heineken Cup after successive losses to the champions, Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
, despite respectable performances (particularly at Munster's Thomond Park).
Cardiff Blues fared better in the domestic league, finishing second after having beaten Leinster at home to go top of the league, only for the Ospreys to win at Borders the next day to claim the title.
Signings
Further additions to the Cardiff Blues squad over the summer include Gareth Thomas, Paul Tito and Jason Spice, who was brought in to replace Mike Philips who signed to the Ospreys for a reported £180,000 a year.Celtic League
The Cardiff Blues won their first two games of the season, beating the Ospreys at home in the opening match and extending their unbeaten home record to sixteen games, and recording an away win at Newport Gwent Dragons the following week to top the table. The Cardiff Blues extended their unbeaten home record to seventeen games the following week with a home victory against Glasgow, but subsequently lost their next home game against Leinster conceding two interception tries.The Cardiff Blues responded to the defeat against Leinster with an away victory over Munster, only the second time in the history of the Celtic League that the Cardiff Blues maintained their position at the top of the league. The following week saw a 30–16 home victory against Connacht, with Gareth Thomas making his first appearance in Cardiff Blues colours, coming on off the bench after 50 minutes to replace wing Rhys Williams.
The Cardiff Blues once again finished 2nd in the Celtic League.
EDF Cup
The EDF Cup started well for the Cardiff Blues with a 32–15 bonus point win at home over Sale. Cardiff scoring four tries in the first 30 minutes with Gareth Thomas getting two of these on his first start for the Cardiff Blues. In the second week of the EDF Cup the Cardiff Blues lost 42–20 against Leicester Tigers, effectively knocking them out of the EDF Energy Cup. In the final pool game of the competition the Cardiff Blues ended Bath RFCs twelve-month unbeaten home record, winning 6–14 at the Recreation Ground. This win however was insufficient, with LeicesterLeicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
progressing to the semi-finals as a result of having gained a bonus point in every pool match.
Heineken Cup
The Cardiff Blues began their Heineken Cup campaign with a bonus point 34–18 home win over Bristol, and followed this with a 13–13 away draw at Harlequins. In December, the Cardiff Blues secured a losing bonus point in their 12–6 loss against Stade Français in Paris, and subsequently won the return fixture 31–21 the following week. A 23–12 home win over Harlequins followed by a 17–0 away win at Bristol secured qualification to the quarter-final stages as the fifth seed. The Cardiff Blues subsequently lost their away quarter-final 41–17 against ToulouseStade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
on April 6.
Signings
Very low key signings made in the summer; Ceri Sweeney, Aled Brew and Richard Mustoe. After a clear out of mostly squad players that saw seven players leave; Marc Stcherbina, Robert Sidoli, Nick Macleod, James Goode, Duane Goodfield, Tom Riley and Rhys Shellard.Subsequently, Aled Brew has been loaned to Newport Gwent Dragons.
Celtic League
The Cardiff Blues finished 6th in the Celtic League, winning 8 games but losing 9. This was mainly due to their focus on the Heineken cup and the EDF cup.EDF Cup
Cardiff Blues were the only unbeaten team in the EDF cup, winning their group, and beating Northampton 11–5 in the semi-final.The Cardiff Blues went on to win the final at Twickenham, 50–12 against Gloucester in a brilliant performance.
Heineken Cup
The Cardiff Blues began their Heineken Cup campaign with a 20–56 bonus point victory away to CalvisanoRugby Calvisano
Rugby Calvisano are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in National Championship of Excellence.They are based in Calvisano , in Lombardy....
. This was followed by a bonus point 37–24 win against Gloucester at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
. A crowd of 27,114 set a new record for a Heineken Cup pool stage game for the Welsh region. The Cardiff Blues then claimed back-to-back victories over Biarritz
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
in December, winning 21–17 at home followed by a 6–10 victory away.
Following the Christmas break, the Cardiff Blues recorded an away 12–16 victory over Gloucester despite being reduced to 14 men after Tom James
Tom James (rugby player)
Tom James is a Welsh rugby union footballer.He was a former Welsh athlete before turning to rugby. His older brother, Robbie, is a professional welterweight boxer and former Welsh ABA Champion....
was sent-off for a head butt on Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam
Olivier Azam
Olivier Azam is a retired French rugby union footballer and current forwards coach at Top 14 club Toulon. A hooker who could also cover prop, Azam spent most of his professional playing career in the English Premiership at Gloucester Rugby. Azam also had 10 caps for France.Azam made his Gloucester...
. The final round of pool games saw the Cardiff Blues face Calvisano at home. A bonus point 62–20 win ensured that the Cardiff Blues remained the only unbeaten team in the pool stages of the 2008–09 Heineken Cup with the Cardiff Blues claiming the top seed and a home quarter-final.
The quarter-final against eighth seed and three-times Heineken Cup winners Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
was played in the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
with another record attendance of 36,778. The Cardiff Blues claimed a 9–6 victory in a defence dominated game. The semi-final against Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
was also hosted at the Millennium Stadium. Despite being 12–26 down with six minutes remaining, the Cardiff Blues mounted a comeback tie the scores at 26–26 after 80 minutes and force extra time. With no further score in the 20 minutes of extra time, the game was forced into an historic penalty kick decider. The Cardiff Blues were defeated 7–6 following missed kicks by Tom James and Martyn Williams
Martyn Williams
Martyn Elwyn Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player. A flanker, he plays for Cardiff Blues and the Wales national rugby union team as an open-side flanker...
.
Signings
With the loss of Nicky Robinson, Jamie Robinson, Jason Spice and Ross Johnson; the Cardiff Blues signed Sam Norton-Knight from the New South Wales Waratahs, Gareth Cooper from Gloucester and Gavin Evans from Scarlets, as well as Casey Laulala from the Canterbury Crusaders who arrived in the November.Season
In the Celtic LeagueCeltic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, the Cardiff Blues finished fifth in the table, one point out of the playoffs; but secured a place in the 2010–11 Heineken Cup as the second-placed Welsh team. Their Heineken Cup
2009–10 Heineken Cup
The 2009–10 Heineken Cup was the 15th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...
campaign ended after the pool stage, in which they finished second to Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
and were not one of the two top second-place teams. However, this season was the first in which three second-place teams from the Heineken Cup parachuted into the European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
, and the Cardiff Blues were one of three teams to qualify. They crushed Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
55–20 in the quarterfinals and edged London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
18–15, both on the road, to reach the final of the competition
2009–10 European Challenge Cup
The 2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup was the 14th season of the European Challenge Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from six nations in European rugby. It started on 8 October 2009 at Sixways Stadium in Worcester with Worcester Warriors hosting Montpellier, and ended with...
. The Cardiff Blues became the first Welsh side to win a European trophy after beating Toulon
RC Toulonnais
RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
28–21 in the final on 23 May at Stade Vélodrome
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
.
Signings
With the unsuccessful Sam Norton-Knight signing for the Sanyo Wild KnightsSanyo Wild Knights
Panasonic Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half , it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.All-Japan Champions:...
after not making the grade at outside half, the Blues signed Dan Parks
Dan Parks
Daniel Arthur Parks is a Scottish international rugby union player who plays for RaboDirect Pro12 side Cardiff Blues as fly-half...
of Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors
The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
and a Scottish International. He is the current record points scorer in the Celtic League.
The Cardiff Blues also re-signed Xavier Rush
Xavier Rush
Xavier Joseph Rush is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a former All Black and currently plays professional rugby in Wales for RaboDirect Pro12 side Cardiff Blues where he is the former captain...
. After declaring his move to Ulster earlier in the season, Rush because of a change in personal matters wanted to stay at the Blues. Although he had signed a contract with Ulster, he managed to negotiate a release from this to continue his career with the Blues.
Another Kiwi has been signed by Cardiff in the summer, Michael Paterson
Michael Paterson
Michael Paterson is a rugby union player for the Cardiff Blues in the RaboDirect Pro12 competition. He plays as a lock or blindside flanker. Paterson has represented the New Zealand under 21s but is yet to gain a cap for the All Blacks...
from the Super 14 side the Hurricanes, where he played either in the second row or on the blindside. Press reports in New Zealand at the time of the signing indicated that he was on the fringes of the All-Black squad.
Cardiff Blues have also signed three English based Welshmen – two from Doncaster Knights, Bryn Griffiths (second row) and Tom Davies (prop) and one from London Welsh, Tom Brown (No.8).
Cardiff Blues released Andy Powell after he "lost his way" after the golf buggy incident whilst on international duty with Wales. Cardiff Blues have also released a number of squad players in the summer including Robin Sowden-Taylor (Dragons), Scott Morgan (Dragons) and Dai Flanagan (Ospreys).
Colours
On their inception, the Cardiff Blues kit corresponded with the traditional Cardiff RFCCardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
colours of Cambridge blue and black. The kit for the subsequent season was a variation of these colours with white being used as an alternative strip in the case of a colour clash with the opposition.
In 2006, Cardiff Blues changed their playing strip in a decision widely interpreted as a move away from the old Cardiff RFC identity, as for the first time black was not included alongside the blue.
For the 2010/2011 season the home strip was changed to a darker blue, with only small amounts of the traditional light blue remaining; this again may be seen as a move to establish the Blues an identity that is separate from Cardiff RFC
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
.
Identity controversy
At the event launching the Cardiff Blues brand in June 2003, the Chief Executive, Robert Norster said, "A huge amount of effort has been made to ensure that the past 127 years of club traditions are not lost. We are delighted by the way these aspects have been respected and retained within the new modern brand." This close association with Cardiff RFC has led to feelings of resentment from members and supporters of other rugby clubs, notably PontypriddPontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
.
There were repeated calls for Cardiff Blues to drop the "Cardiff" part of their name in order to sever links with the old Cardiff RFC identity and to move away from the traditional light blue kit worn by CRFC. Proponents of this idea point to the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
tournament where teams such as the Bulls
Bulls (rugby franchise)
The Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Bulls, are a South African rugby union team competing in the Super Rugby competition. They are based in Pretoria and play their home matches at Loftus Versfeld...
and Crusaders play with no geographic locator in their name. These calls intensified when the Celtic Warriors
Celtic Warriors
The Celtic Warriors were a regional rugby union team from Wales, who played in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup between 2003 and 2004.-History:The Warriors were one of the five original regions of the Welsh Regional Rugby Era...
regional team was dissolved in 2004, bringing old rivals Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
within the catchment area of the Cardiff Blues region. However, there was significant opposition to any such move within the ranks of the club, given that the Cardiff club had won standalone status at a cost of £1,000,000 when the rebranding took place in 2003 (No other club or company have been involved with Cardiff RFC Ltd.
Regional responsibilities
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
, the eastern Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
valleys and Breconshire.
Initially, the Cardiff Blues' region covered only the City of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
. However, this was expanded upon the demise of the Celtic Warriors region after one season. Cardiff RFC Ltd employ development officers who work with schools and clubs across the region and run a rugby academy for elite players aged 16 and above.
Home ground
From the current 09–10 season Cardiff Blues have moved to the new Cardiff City Stadium at Leckwith. The Blues are tennants at this stadium to Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
The first Cardiff Blues home game at the new stadium was a friendly to Leicester RFC which they lost 5–14, the attendance was 16,000
According to the club, the Cardiff Blues and Cardiff City will "share a joint ticket office together with joint branding at the stadium". The Management Committee of Cardiff Athletic Club
Cardiff Athletic Club
Cardiff Athletic Club is a multi-sport club in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. It is the owner of the world famous Cardiff Arms Park rugby ground, however, it is also a major shareholder of Cardiff Rugby Football Club Ltd and therefore has a large influence over the rugby club's two...
, (who own Cardiff Arms Park and 28% of Cardiff Rugby Ltd,) have recently voted (voted without consulting the 1,700+ members, a vote which led eventually to the ain MC members standing down after an EGM to be replaced by a more member orientated committee) to support the move to the new stadium. The initial heads of terms agreement is for a 20-year licence. However, the company still has fifteen years left on its existing lease at the Arms Park and are currently using it for Cardiff RFC Premiership matches.
Previously the Cardiff Blues played their home games at the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
, situated next to the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, and for some bigger games, Cardiff Blues have played at the Millennium Stadium.
Management
The Cardiff Blues had been coached by Dai YoungDai Young
David "Dai" Young is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league player, presently Director of Rugby at London Wasps.Born in Aberdare in 1967, Young lived in Penywaun for many years, and was regularly seen training with his father on the local sports field, now occupied by the Welsh-language...
since they were founded, until the summer of 2011 when he moved to London Wasps. The Blues are currently coached by Young's former assistants, Wales sevens coach Gareth Baber
Gareth Baber
Gareth Baber , is a Welsh former rugby footballer and now a rugby union coach.During his playing career Baber earned a Blue for Oxford University's rugby team...
and former Academy manager Justin Burnell
Justin Burnell
Justin Burnell is a Welsh former rugby footballer and now a rugby union coach.During his playing career as a back row forward Burnell played for Treorchy RFC, Bridgend RFC and Neath RFC....
.
Current Squad 2011-12
Out
Tom DaviesTom Davies
Thomas J. Davies was an American football player and coach. He played as a halfback at the University of Pittsburgh and was a consensus All-American in 1918 and 1920...
(
DoncasterDoncaster R.F.C.
Doncaster Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club representing the town of Doncaster. The first XV are known as the Doncaster Knights, and play in the RFU Championship...
) Bryn Griffiths
Bryn Griffiths
See also Bryn Griffiths, Welsh poet and writer.Bryn Griffiths is a Welsh rugby union player. A lock forward, he has represented Wales Under 21's and currently plays his club rugby for the Cardiff Blues having joined from Doncaster R.F.C. in 2010...
(released) Ben White (
Exeter ChiefsExeter Chiefs
Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White ....
) Tom Brown
Thomas Brown (rugby)
Thomas "Tom" Brown is a professional rugby union and rugby league footballer who at representative level has played rugby union for Wales , and at club level for Coventry R.F.C., Worcester Warriors, Newbury RFC, London Welsh, Cardiff Blues, and Newport Gwent Dragons, playing at Number 8, and at...
(
Newport Gwent DragonsNewport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
) Tom Slater (
BristolBristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
) James Loxton ( Connacht
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...
)
British and Irish Lions
The following players have been selected to play for the British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
touring squads while playing for the Cardiff Blues.
| Player | Home Union | Tours |
| Gethin Jenkins Gethin Jenkins Gethin Jenkins is a Wales and British Lions international rugby union player, currently playing for Cardiff Blues. He is the most capped prop-forward for Wales.-Early career:... |
2005, 2009 | |
| Tom Shanklin Tom Shanklin Tomos George L. Shanklin is a former Welsh rugby union player who played Outside Centre for Cardiff Blues and Wales. He is Wales' most-capped centre... |
2005, 2009 | |
| Martyn Williams Martyn Williams Martyn Elwyn Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player. A flanker, he plays for Cardiff Blues and the Wales national rugby union team as an open-side flanker... |
2005, 2009 | |
| Leigh Halfpenny Leigh Halfpenny Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh international rugby union footballer who plays for the Cardiff Blues regional side.-Biography:... |
2009 | |
| Andy Powell Andy Powell (rugby player) Andy Powell is a Welsh international rugby union player now playing his club rugby for Sale Sharks. He is a back row forward who has played for both the Wales sevens team and the Wales national rugby union team.-Rugby union career:... |
2009 | |
| Jamie Roberts Jamie Roberts Jamie Roberts is a Welsh international rugby union footballer currently playing for Cardiff Blues in the RaboDirect Pro12. He also plays for the Wales and the British and Irish lions.Roberts' position of choice is as a centre.... |
2009 |
Notable former players
Players who have won over 20 international caps and have represented Cardiff Blues in the past:Head coaches
| Name | Nationality | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Dai Young Dai Young David "Dai" Young is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league player, presently Director of Rugby at London Wasps.Born in Aberdare in 1967, Young lived in Penywaun for many years, and was regularly seen training with his father on the local sports field, now occupied by the Welsh-language... |
|
2003-11 |
| Gareth Baber Gareth Baber Gareth Baber , is a Welsh former rugby footballer and now a rugby union coach.During his playing career Baber earned a Blue for Oxford University's rugby team... , Justin Burnell Justin Burnell Justin Burnell is a Welsh former rugby footballer and now a rugby union coach.During his playing career as a back row forward Burnell played for Treorchy RFC, Bridgend RFC and Neath RFC.... |
|
2011–present |
Celtic League
| Season | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 2003-04 Celtic League -Week 2:-Week 3:-Week4:-Week 5:-Week 6:-Week 7:-Week 8:-Week 9:-Week 10:-Week 11:-Week 12:-Week 13:... |
22 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 10 | 54 | 6th |
| 2004–05 2004-05 Celtic League -Week 4:-Week 5:-Week 6:-Week 7:-Week 8:-Week 9:-Week 10:-Week 11:-Week 12:-Week 13:-Week 14:-Week 15:-Week 16:... |
20 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 40 | 9th |
| 2005–06 2005-06 Celtic League The 2005-06 Celtic League was the third season of the Celtic League since the inception of regional rugby union in Wales. Eleven teams, from three countries participated. The final table was dominated by the Irish, with the top three spots taken by Ulster, Leinster and Munster respectively... |
22* | 11 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 63 | 4th |
| 2006–07 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 63 | 2nd |
| 2007–08 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 56 | 2nd |
| 2008–09 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 38 | 6th |
| 2009–10 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 44 | 5th |
Celtic Cup
| Season | Round | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Quarter-final | Edinburgh Rugby 33 – 16 Cardiff Blues |
Heineken Cup
| Season | Pool | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | BP | Points | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 2nd |
| 2009–10 (HC Heineken Cup The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,... ) |
5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 2nd |
| 2009–10 (ACC European Challenge Cup The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European... ) |
Quarter-final | Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in... 20 – 55 Cardiff Blues |
||||||
| Semi-final | London Wasps London Wasps London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999... 15 – 18 Cardiff Blues |
|||||||
| Final | Cardiff Blues 28 – 21 Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... |
|||||||
| 2008–09 2008-09 Heineken Cup The 2008–09 Heineken Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh... |
6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 1st |
| Quarter-final | Cardiff Blues 9 – 6 Toulouse Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps... |
|||||||
| Semi-final | Cardiff Blues 26 – 26 (6–7 penalties Penalty shootout The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal... ) Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010... |
|||||||
| 2007–08 2007-08 Heineken Cup The 2007–08 Heineken Cup was the 13th edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby.The start of the tournament was delayed because of the 2007 Rugby World Cup... |
3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 1st |
| Quarter-final | Toulouse Stade Toulousain Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps... 41 – 17 Cardiff Blues |
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| 2006–07 2006-07 Heineken Cup The 2006–07 Heineken Cup was the 12th edition of the European Heineken Cup rugby union club tournament. The pool draw took place on 21 June at Twickenham. The pool stages started on 20 October and concluded in January, going for six rounds... |
4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 3rd |
| 2005–06 2005-06 Heineken Cup The 2005–06 Heineken Cup was the eleventh edition of the European Heineken Cup rugby union club tournament. 24 teams from 7 different countries took part, with the opening game played on Friday October 21, 2005... |
2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 3rd |
| 2004–05 2004-05 Heineken Cup The 2004-5 Heineken Cup was the tenth edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams, from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, were divided into six pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other... |
6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4th |
| 2003–04 2003-04 Heineken Cup The 2003-4 Heineken Cup was the ninth season for which European teams competed for the Heineken Cup. Competing teams, from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, were divided into six pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other... |
3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 3rd |
Anglo-Welsh Cup
| Season | Group/Round | Pos | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Pool 3 | 1st | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15 |
| Semi-final | Cardiff Blues 18 – 29 Gloucester | |||||||
| 2008–09 2008-09 EDF Energy Cup The 2008-09 EDF Energy Cup is the 38th season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the fourth to follow the recently adopted Anglo-Welsh format.... |
Group B | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Semi-final | Cardiff Blues 11 – 5 Northampton Saints Northampton Saints Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591.... |
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| Final | Cardiff Blues 50 – 12 Gloucester | |||||||
| 2007–08 2007-08 EDF Energy Cup The 2007–08 EDF Energy Cup was the 37th season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the third to follow the recently adopted Anglo-Welsh format.... |
Group B | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 2006–07 2006-07 EDF Energy Cup The 2006–07 EDF Energy Cup marked the 36th season of the English Rugby Union cup competition. It was the second season under the new Anglo-Welsh format and the first with EDF Energy as title sponsor... |
Group B | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Semi-final | Cardiff Blues 10 – 27 Ospreys | |||||||
| 2005–06 2005-06 Powergen Cup The 2005-06 Powergen Cup was the 35th annual rugby union cup competition in England. Originally contested between clubs of the English leagues, this was the first season for which the competition was open to the Welsh regions, forming the Anglo-Welsh Cup. The cup is contested between the twelve... |
Group B | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
ERC Elite Award
In 2004 Cardiff Blues received the ERC Elite Award for having played 50 games in the Heineken Cup. This record began in 1995 when Cardiff RFC recorded an away draw at Bordeaux, and continued following the reorganisation of Welsh rugby in 2003, due to the club standing alone and rebranding as Cardiff Blues.ERC statistics show that the team has played 92 games in Europe as 1st Cardiff RFC then as Cardiff Blues(from the start of 2010/2011 season) while the Cardiff Blues' muddled marketing only includes the period since 2003 - 49 games.
Club honours
- Anglo-Welsh Cup – 2008–092008-09 EDF Energy CupThe 2008-09 EDF Energy Cup is the 38th season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the fourth to follow the recently adopted Anglo-Welsh format....
- Amlin Challenge CupEuropean Challenge CupThe European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
– 2009–10 (first Welsh team to win a European Trophy)
External links
- Cardiff Blues official site
- Cardiff RFC official site
- the Arms Park Fan Site
- TalkCardiffrugby.net Fan forum