Rugby League enter Welsh Varsity for the first time this Wednesday when Swansea University and Cardiff University meet at Swansea Bay Sports Park (kick-off 9am).

The Welsh Varsity is the second biggest Varsity event in Britain. A festival of sport, the tournament sees over 50 fixtures across a range of sports compete for the coveted Welsh Varsity Shield.

With rugby league being the newest sport on the calendar, we’re the first event of the day, creating another record in itself as the earliest time a senior rugby league fixture has ever kicked off in the UK.

Swansea, as hosts, are the hot favourites going into the game, having beaten Cardiff 58-6 earlier this season on their way to winning promotion back to the Premier League.

Their coach, Richard Lewis, the West Wales Rugby League Development Manager, said: “Firstly we would like to welcome Cardiff University to Swansea for the first ever Welsh Varsity Rugby League game. Cardiff have been ever-improving since the first meet at the start of the season. 

“Swansea have shown this year that the efforts made by all have been rewarded with an unbeaten season in the league and narrowly losing to Loughborough seconds in the semi-final of the cup.

“The players in camp this month have taken their professionalism to new heights, completing an extra conditioning session on the beach plus 90 minute field sessions twice a week, plus completing any uni work which shows how serious they are taking this.

“We hope to make this first encounter at Varsity a spectacle for all to see and prove why it belongs annually on the Fixture. Good luck to all.”

Cardiff will want to avenge their defeat, and their debut season has seen them win their last four games of their domestic season.

Their coach, Wayne Ponting, the East Wales Rugby League Development Manager, said: “The players have made tremendous progress from when we started a little over six months ago.

“From having nothing at the beginning, a handful of players turning up to the first training session, to having over 20 training each week and then finishing third in the league is tremendous.

“If the boys stick to what they have done in the last four games, then they’ll do well and it’ll be a totally different to the first game we played against them earlier this season. The players know what they’re capable of, they just need to go out now and prove it.”

For more information about the day, please go to Welsh Varsity 2024 (swansea-union.co.uk)