Cardiff Met Aussie Rules celebrate landmark season for men’s and women’s teams

Cardiff Met Aussie Rules enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history, with both the men’s and women’s teams reaching new heights on and off the pitch.

After starting the year with a significant intake of new players across both squads, the club built real momentum despite a disrupted opening to the season, with the first two league rounds postponed. For a smaller club, that early growth proved vital, helping both teams stay competitive across a demanding campaign.

The first major statement came at Cyncoed in late January, where Cardiff Met hosted a league round and delivered a perfect set of results. The men maintained their unbeaten home run with two wins from two, while the women also claimed back-to-back victories. It marked the first time both teams had gone 4/4 across a home round, underlining the progress being made across the whole club.

Cardiff Met then travelled to Birmingham, where the men continued their strong form with two convincing victories to secure their place in the final for the second consecutive round. The women also added another win, meaning one more victory in Cambridge would be enough to book their own final spot.

Cambridge has traditionally been a difficult venue for the Archers, but both teams rose to the challenge. Despite a slightly changed men’s squad, with several players rested, Cardiff Met came away with two hard-fought wins. That completed an unbeaten regular league season for the men, who finished 6/6 for the first time in the club’s history. The women also won both of their matches, securing their place in the final and making it a landmark league campaign for both squads.

Away from the league, Cardiff Met also travelled to Belfast for the Fitzpatrick Cup, a competition featuring some of the top university Aussie Rules teams in Europe. The club took 53 players and supporters to the tournament, making it a major moment in Cardiff Met Aussie Rules history.

The men reached the semi-finals before being beaten by the eventual winners, but responded strongly to win the third/fourth play-off and secure their highest ever finish in the competition. The women also reached the semi-finals and, despite narrowly missing out on a place in the final, finished fourth to record their own best-ever result.

Individual recognition followed, with three Cardiff Met players selected in the men’s team of the tournament and two players named in the women’s team of the tournament.

The club’s season also included a tour to Barcelona, with 32 players travelling to compete in an invitational tournament against senior-level teams, many of which featured Australian players. The men won one of their two fixtures, while the women were unable to pick up a win, but the tour provided valuable experience against high-quality opposition and further strengthened the club’s growing sense of identity.

Cardiff Met then returned to league action in Cambridge for a memorable finale. The women produced a dominant performance against Birmingham to win the league for the first time in their history, while the men delivered a commanding display against Oxford, keeping them goalless to retain their league title.

For the men’s team, the achievement marked a remarkable rise, having previously only finished bottom before their recent success. For the women, a first league title confirmed the scale of their progress and capped a season that will be remembered as a major step forward for the club.

With record numbers, European competition experience, international tours and league success for both squads, Cardiff Met Aussie Rules can reflect on a hugely successful year.

The season was not only defined by results, but by the continued development of the club as a whole, with both teams helping to raise standards, strengthen the playing group and build a platform for future success.