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Cardiff Demons

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Cardiff Demons
Club information
Full nameCardiff Demons Rugby League Football Club
Colours
  • Black, red and white (Men)
  • Blue (Women)
Founded1997; 27 years ago (1997) (Men's)
2021; 3 years ago (2021) (Women's)
WebsiteCardiff Demons (Ladies)
Archived Mens website
Current details
Ground(s)
  • St. Peters RFC, Cardiff (Men's team)
    Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff (Women's team)
CompetitionRFL Women's Southern Championship

The Cardiff Demons RLFC name has been used multiple times over the years. Firstly for a now-defunct men's rugby league side, and subsequently for a women's rugby league side who began in 2021.

The men's side played out of St. Peters RFC in the east of Cardiff, Wales and played in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.

The women's team competed in the RFL Women's Super League South from its inaugural season in June 2021. In 2024 this was replaced by the Southern Championship.

History

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Men's team: 1997–2014

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Men's Club Logo

Cardiff Demons were formed in 1997.[1][2] In 2001, they joined the Central South Division of the Rugby League Conference. Playing at St. Peters RFC, a two miles north of the city centre, the Demons succeeded in finishing in third place.

For the 2002 season the Demons moved to Old Penarthians RFC in Penarth. Again competing in the Central South Division, Cardiff secured the runners up spot.

In 2003, the Demons finished top of the South West Conference, but failed to progress in the play-offs.[3]

In 2004, the Demons moved to Taffs Well, joined the Welsh Conference and won two trophies. First was the Welsh Shield after beating Newport Titans, then beating Thorne Moor Marauders in National Shield.[3]

The Demons moved back to St Peters RFC after one home match of 2006 and went on to win the East Division and reach the Welsh Conference Grand Final, only to lose 22–10 to Bridgend Blue Bulls.[3] In 2009 they relocated to St Albans RFC in Tremorfa.

At the end of 2014, the two main Rugby League clubs in the city, Demons and the Cardiff Spartans decided to merge. The result was Cardiff City RL,[4] which in 2017 was rebranded as Cardiff Blue Dragons RLFC (a resurrection of the name of the last professional RL side in Cardiff and kit colours).[2]

Women's team: 2021–present

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After a number of years of dormancy, the Cardiff Demons name was resurrected in 2021 for a new women's rugby league team, set to compete in the inaugural season of the RFL Women's Super League South competition, starting in June 2021.[5][6] The club won the inaugural season beating the Army team 30-26[7] and retained the title the following season with a Grand Final win over London Broncos.[8]

In 2023, Cardiff made their first appearance in the Challenge Cup and reached the quarter-finals due to wins over Featherstone Rovers and Salford Red Devils in the group stage.[9] They also took part in the RFL Women's Nines where they earned a wildcard place in the finals.[10] In the league the Demons went undefeated in the regular season, but lost 22–10 to London Broncos in the Grand Final.[11]

In 2024, Cardiff reached the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup and the semi-finals of the Women's Nines, before losing to Wigan Warriors in both competitions.[12][13] The Super League South became the Southern Championship, a second-tier competition, in which Cardiff finished top of the table, but lost 28–8 to London Broncos in the final.[14] In December 2024, the Rugby Football League announced a further restructuring of the league system which would see the club transferred to an expanded Northern Championship in the 2025 season.[15]

Women's team seasons

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Season League Play-offs Challenge Cup Ref
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos
2021 Super League South: Western Conference 4 4 0 0 314 6 8 1st Won in Grand Final — [16][7]
2022 Super League South 5 4 0 1 298 32 8 2nd Won in Grand Final — [17][8]
2023 Super League South 5 5 0 0 168 22 10 1st Lost in Grand Final QF [18][19]
2024 Southern Championship 6 5 0 1 246 66 10 1st Lost in Southern Final QF [12][14]

Honours

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Men's honours

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  • RLC South West Division: 2003
  • Welsh Shield: 2004[3]
  • RLC Shield: 2004[3]
  • Welsh Nines Winners: 2006,[20] 2008[20]
  • Welsh Premier (East): 2006

Women's honours

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "First ever open age Cardiff derby goes to Spartans". RFL. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b "About Cardiff Blue Dragons". Wales Rugby League. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e "South Wales Clubs History". Wales Rugby League. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  4. ^ "New Cardiff club to launch with Scorpions friendly". RFL. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Cardiff Demons aim for Women's Super League franchise". Wales Rugby League. 28 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Cardiff Demons returns as the new name for the Welsh Women's Super League side". Wales Rugby League. 28 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "Cardiff Demons clinch first Betfred Super League South title". RFL. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Cardiff Demons deliver Grand Final masterclass". RFL. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Cardiff Demons join big guns in Cup Quarter-Final draw". RFL. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Cardiff Demons continue to make history in Women's Rugby League". RFL. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Looking back… Women's Super League South". Betfred Women's Super League Grand Final 2023: Official Programme (PDF). p. 13. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Men's and Women's Quarter-Finals Review & Semi-Finals confirmed | Betfred Challenge Cup". RFL. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Wigan Warriors lift Women's Rugby League Nines trophy". www.rugby-league.com. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Cardiff Demons Women's Super League 2024". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Northern Women's Championship expands for 2025". RFL. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  16. ^ "Cardiff Demons Women's Super League 2021". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Cardiff Demons Women's Super League 2022". Wales Rugby League. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Match Centre". RFL. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Women's Challenge Cup: Holders St Helens, Wigan Warriors and York Valkyrie seal quarter-final wins". BBC Sport. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Wales Ready For KO". Rugby League Conference. 6 May 2010. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
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