Rugby has been a massive part of school and university culture for a long time, the game invented in 1823 at Rugby School in Warwickshire has been a staple at private and state schools around the UK. This popularity has led to schoolboy rugby becoming incredibly competitive and providing good foundations for the move to professional rugby.
Ivan Stalberg is a former Sir Thomas Richs school 1st XV player, he now plays his rugby at University of Cardiff as well as playing at club level for Hucclecote RFC. During his school boy days he was apart of a squad that reached number eight in the country for all schools, private included. This team was the most successful side in the history of the school.
“Getting to play against private schools as a state school is rare but it was really good fun, schoolboy rugby demands so much more fitness compared to club rugby. Club rugby is much more physical but doesn’t have the same requirements for skills and fitness”
The Transition from playing high level school rugby to University rugby is very difficult, especially for a student at Cardiff University. The capital’s largest university compete in BUCS Super Rugby which is the top flight league for higher education teams consisting of ten clubs from all over the UK.
“There’s a really big player pool which makes it super competitive fighting for spots, you still get to play with your mates but its much harder to break into the top teams. Uni rugby is a big step up from schoolboy rugby which makes it difficult for a lot of the boys to adjust.”
The former Tommies 1st XV player has played in high pressure games throughout his entire rugby life, one he looks back on is the annual fixture against Cheltenham College at the home of Gloucester Rugby, Kingsholm. The game regularly pulls in large crowds providing an extraordinary atmosphere for the notorious fixture.
“In that game (Tommies vs Cheltenham College) I was playing hooker which adds a lot of pressure on the lineout throws and I definitely found that the first couple of lineouts, the pressure got to me but once I settled into the game I forgot the crowd was there and it felt like any other game.
This years edition of this fixture is set to take place this month, a new crop of 1st XV players will battle it out on the hallowed turf of Kingsholm. The next “Cardiff Clash” is scheduled for the ninth of December, Cardiff Met will be looking for revenge after they lost 38-14 to Cardiff University at The Arms Park.
