More than 10,000 students piled into the Swansea.com stadium to watch the men’s and women’s rugby teams for Cardiff and Swansea Universities at Varsity yesterday.

As the showpiece events of Varsity 2024 all four teams produced a festival of rugby showcasing skills of the highest level.

In the first game, Cardiff and Swansea’s women’s sides battled it out, after a tight first half the visitors pulled away for a convincing 12-71 victory.

Cardiff took the lead when centre Elie Tromans’ brilliant line split the Swansea defence before arching her way around the cover to score before wing Jos Stirzaker added to their advantage with some nice footwork to step inside the defence and finish by the posts.

Swansea hit back with a solo try of their own as outside centre Anna Stowell used her footwork and left arm fend to full effect scything through the home defence.

The back-and-forth nature of the first half continued as Stirzaker grabbed her second before some quick thinking from Swansea captain Meg Fisher, who took a quick tap penalty before powering over from close range.

That was the end of the scoring at half time with Swansea trailing 12-19.

In the second, Cardiff pulled away. Stirzaker grabbed her hattrick before opposite wing Karolina Thomas’ offload off the deck set up Eleanor Hing.

Stirzaker grabbed her fourth try and then the floodgates opened with tries from backrowers Gabriela Della-Savina and Zoe Dare, along with substitutes Niamh Roberts and Anna Davies, before Thomas grabbed a deserved try with the final play of the game.

Cardiff’s offloading particularly from their front five forwards off the bench was brilliant whilst they were clinical off turnover possession.

In the men’s game, Swansea would get their revenge.

The home side took the lead after 11 minutes with hooker Jamie Phillips the beneficiary from a driving maul, a constant source of momentum for the home side throughout the game.

After Swansea had added to their lead with a penalty, Cardiff responded with a try of their own as a brilliant offload from Tom Kilmartin found George Shaw who dived over.

Phillips then scored a second try from a maul, almost a carbon copy of the last, however, five metres from their own line the lineout was stolen, and Cardiff scrum half George Macdonald snuck in from close range.

Another Swansea penalty increased their lead to 18-14 at half-time but the tit-for-tat nature of the game continued into the second half, with Toby Peach the beneficiary off a driving maul for Cardiff only to see Swansea centre Callum Dodd crash over from close range in response.

A try from a quick tap penalty from Macdonald allowed him to score his second as Cardiff regained the lead.

Their lead would last until 15 minutes remaining when Swansea eight Bob Bray crashed over after centre Iwan Johnes had come close.

Bray scored a second from close range to give his side a two score lead before substitute hooker Wills Austin scored with the final play of the game to cue early celebrations and a 44-28 win.

Johnes is set to finish his third year at Swansea University and admits that while the team were focused on the game in the lead up, post-match the players realised in all likelihood they wouldn’t be playing with each other again.

“We were all a bit emotional after the game,” said Johnes.

“It’s an honour to play in Varsity, it’s nice to finish at the Swansea.com stadium and in the way we have with the win.

“It’s been difficult as a student to balance studies and training five times a week, some of the players were up until the early hours of the morning finishing their dissertations, mine is in on Monday too!”

Former Ospreys and Dragons prop Hugh Gustafson is Johnes’ coach at Swansea and the young centre says he can’t speak higher of his tutelage.

“I spoke to Gus [Gustafson] before coming and he sold me the programme and it’s been even better than I thought it would be,” said Johnes.

“He juggles different teams and it’s hard for us to compete against teams with more money, which gets you better players and teams with better ties to professional clubs.

“Gus sums us up as a team, we’re not one of superstars but we all really want to play for him and when that’s the case it makes things easier.”

Next season Johnes is set to complete his masters whilst playing for Newport RFC in the new Elite Domestic Competition, and is “excited” at the opportunity.

“It’ll be a different challenge with the EDC, but it’ll be a really good opportunity for me to go there and playing with some guys I know,” said Johnes.

“I’m looking forward to it, playing with the likes of Jac Lloyd, Ioan Davies and Iwan Pyrs-Jones from school at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf in an environment to develop young players.

“It’s an opportunity for me to play rugby and to enjoy it with a smile on my face and make connections with different people which is what I have enjoyed along with the solidarity you have for each other.”