Posted by Being the captain of Cardiff RFC is not simply about having your name added to the long list of incredible players who have held the same position over the years, or running out first for a Super Rygbi Cymru fixture.
The position with the Blue & Blacks in the modern day is one of great importance for culture creation and standard setting in a team that has the dual goals of striving to compete at the top of the semi-professional game in Wales and also bringing through the next generation of Academy talent at the club.
We’ve seen fan favourites and club legends like Joey Tomlinson, Morgan Allen and Sean Moore carry out the role to great effect in recent years, and this past season has seen 2025/26 Cardiff Rugby Life Cardiff RFC Player of the Year Craig Hudd fill those big shoes with relative ease.
Of course it was a natural transition for Hudd because, despite only taking the club captaincy over from Moore last summer, the truth is that he’s been a leader on the field since arriving at the Arms Park ahead of the 2023/24 season.
There’s a physicality and a work rate that underpins his defensive work, as well as a natural feel for a turnover. A trait shared with twin brother Nathan, it’s difficult to imagine either of them ever actually playing with any toys when they were children as they just constantly stole them off each other.
What Craig offers in abundance though is a huge attacking upside. If you look up the definition of “all-court game” in the dictionary then it’s just a picture of the Cardiff captain and a link to a highlight reel of carries, offloads and general heads-up rugby.
That physicality combined with the footwork allows Hudd to make metres when there doesn’t seem to be any to be made, but crucially it means that even if he is taken into contact then he can free his upper body enough to look for an offload.
With a sharp eye for space that either he spots or creates, he manages to create an unusually high amount of line breaks for a forward and is a crucial part of an expensive Rags attack under the tutelage of the magician himself Dan Fish.
And when Hudd puts it altogether he produces some superb tries, such as this one at Pontypool a few weeks ago.
What has been particularly valuable to Cardiff over the last two seasons has been the positional versatility that Hudd has shown. In his first season at the club 19 of 23 starts came in the back row, but that has transitioned to 12 of 14 starts this year coming at lock.
With Sean Moore and Tom Cottle injured, and the Rags never carrying a huge amount of depth at second row, this has been a huge service to the squad, to the point that Hudd now has some of the best lineout and maul skills in the league.
Whether it’s stealing opposition ball, disrupting driving mauls or setting up drives of our own for Alun Rees to benefit from, it’s a key spot to give the Blue & Blacks a different attacking threat especially against some of the bigger packs in the league or on grass pitches in the depths of winter.
Exactly what next season holds can never be 100% certain in the world of semi-professional rugby, but the hope from Cardiff supporters is absolutely that Craig Hudd continues to be part of the Rags squad and as club captain.
His role on the pitch will remain vitally important, but his role off it will take on even more significance as a new generation of Academy talent begins it’s journey in Blue & Black, featuring in particular a number of exciting young forwards.
For the likes of Sonny McCabe and Alfie Prygodzicz, as well as the returning Tom Cottle and Evan Rees, to have someone like Hudd setting standards on and off the field will be a crucial part of their development.
And of course, he will be a key cog in continuing the Rags’ run of success.
Cardiff Rugby Life 