Regional age grade campaign gets underway

The 2017/18 Welsh regional age grade season kicked-off last week with an inter-Cardiff Blues derby starting the year off with a bang.

With the introduction of new Director of Development Clive Jones there has been a change in the way the development pathway will look this season at the academy stage of the ladder.

As with the Under-16s, Cardiff Blues Under-18s will have two teams this season, one made up of players from the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan areas, and the other consisting of Valleys and South Powys youngsters.

The very first game for the split teams was against each other at the Arms Park last week, with the result a 24-24 draw in a highly entertaining game. As it happens the U16s had drawn in a round robin competition earlier in the day as well, underlining the competitiveness in the region.

Below are the full set of fixtures for each of the four age grade teams;

Cardiff U16s;

Wednesday 23rd August - Dragons North - CAP - 19:15
Wednesday 30th August - Scarlets West - Tenby RFC - 19:15
Sunday 10th September - RGC - tbc - tbc
Wednesday 13th September - Ospreys East - Bridgend RFC - 19:00

Wednesday 31st January - Ospreys West - CAP - 19:15
Wednesday 14th February - Scarlets East - CAP - 19:15
Wednesday 21st February - Dragons South - tbc - tbc
Wednesday 28th February - Valleys - CAP - 19:15

Valleys U16s;

Wednesday 23rd August - Ospreys West - Neath RFC - 19:00
Wednesday 30th August - Dragons North - The Wern - 19:15
Wednesday 13th September - Scarlets West - The Wern - 19:15

Wednesday 31st January - Scarlets East - PyS - 19:15
Sunday 11th February - RGC - tbc - tbc
Wednesday 14th February - Dragons South - Ystrad Mynach - 19:15
Wednesday 21st February - Ospreys East - The Wern - 19:15
Wednesday 28th February - Cardiff - CAP - 19:15

Cardiff U18s;

Wednesday 16th August - Valleys - CAP - 24:24(result)
Sunday 27th August - Ospreys - CAP - 13:00
Wednesday 30th August - Scarlets - tbc - tbc
Wednesday 6th September - Dragons - tbc - tbc

Sunday 7th January - RGC - CAP - 13:00
Wednesday 10th January - Valleys - Sardis Road - 19:15
Wednesday 24th January - Scarlets - CAP - 19:15
Sunday 28th January - RGC - tbc - tbc
Wednesday 21st February - Dragons - CAP - 19:15

Valleys U18s;

Wednesday 16th August - Cardiff - CAP - 24:24(result)
Wednesday 23rd August - Dragons - Sardis Road - 19:15
Wednesday 30th August - Ospreys - tbc - tbc
Sunday 3rd/10th September - RGC - tbc - tbc

Wednesday 3rd January - Scarlets - Sardis Road - 19:15
Wednesday 10th January - Cardiff - Sardis Road - 19:15
Wednesday 17th January - Dragons - Ystrad Mynach - 19:15
Wednesday 24th January - Ospreys - Sardis Road - 19:15
Sunday 21st/28th January - RGC - Sardis Road - 13:00
TBC - Scarlets - tbc - tbc

All fixtures are subject to change, keep checking here and @CardiffRugbyWeb for all the up-to-date news, and make sure to get out and support the Cardiff Blues players of the future.

The future is bright, the future is blue!!