Last weekend saw Cardiff’s Ultimate Frisbee team, “NoFrills”, crowned national champions at BUSA University Outdoor Nationals in York. The victory shows the importance of solid leadership and unyielding spirit in what has been a remarkable process of rebuilding and development for a club that lost all but two first team players in 2006.

The tournament began with an emphatic win for Cardiff over Newcastle. The victory gave the whole team belief going into their next match against Cambridge, who were favourites for the pool. Many did not give Cardiff a chance before this game and questioned whether Cardiff were even contenders for the title. As it turned out the game could not have been closer, with never more than one point between the sides. Towards the end of the match Cardiff found themselves needing two consecutive points with the score standing at 8-9 to Cambridge and the game being capped to 10 points. Tony Fuller stepped up when it mattered most with inspirational offensive and defensive plays to seal victory in what would ultimately turn out to be a warm-up for the final.

A strong consistent offensive from Ian King and Chris Griggs-Trevarthen gave Cardiff a comfortable victory over Brunel and saw the team top their pool. This meant they had one fewer game than most of their other competitors, and set them up with an easier quarter final against Leeds. By winning their pool, Cardiff also put themselves in the other half of the draw to “RoShamBo” from Edinburgh. With Edinburgh having been undefeated in all university open, mixed and women’s events at a national level for over two years, and having a squad boasting a number of Great Britain players, they were certainly pretournament favourites. However, while Cardiff were convincingly dispatching Leeds, with a noteworthy performance from new-boy Neil Hargreaves, Cambridge and Edinburgh were embroiled in tense battle to reach the semis.Cambridge appeared to be able to be coping well with Edinburgh’s fast-paced style of offence and a nail-biting sudden-death finish saw Cambridge clinch the win with what can only be described as a ‘huck-and-hope’ play.

The semi-final saw Cardiff up against local rivals Bristol “Mythago”, who had beaten Cardiff in March on Pontcanna playing fields at the regional qualifying event. Bristol, led by Great Britain star Colin Shaw, are known for their tactical astuteness and the ability to adjust their style of play depending on the opposition.

Having played against Bristol on a regular basis over the last few seasons had prepared Cardiff well, and they raced into 5-0 lead after just 18 minutes. However, a slow response to a shift in defensive tactics by Bristol saw them claw Cardiff’s lead back to just one point at 8-7. At this point Cardiff unleashed defensive hero Lee Taylor. Lee was given the job of man-marking Bristol’s GB playmaker and his performance helped Cardiff to blow Bristol away and win 12-10. Lee’s performance caused Colin to declare Lee as “one of the best players [he has] seen for a long time”.

The final was a rematch of the earlier pool game with Cardiff again taking on Cambridge. Another close affair saw the teams never separated by more than a single point until the very end when Cardiff’s American recruit, and MVP of the final, Dan Kalb, “threaded the needle” with a pass to vice captain Jack Maidment in the end zone.

Victory belonged to captain Dan Wiseman’s Cardiff side, the majority of whom will still be eligible to defend their crown next year.

In another spectacular display by Cardiff University Ultimate's women's team, Cardiff Angels, the team's strong position in the national ranking was preserved by a hard-fought tournment which saw the Angels come out with their position in the top sixteen teams in the country secure.

Having suffered a disasterous slide of doom at outdoor regionals in Glastonbury, no frills, Cardiff University Ultimate were on the recieving end of a stroke of luck - being placed 4th (and qualifying for the second division) in what one would tentatively describe as the mightiest region in the UK - no frills got to benefit from the pull-out of a first division team and entered the first division at 16th seed.
However, not content for that meagre position, and exhibiting skill and valour above that of the mightiest of warriors, no frills first team completed the truly herculean task of ending the tournament in the top half of the results table - 7th. When ask for comment, renound wit, and offically the great British public's greatest Briton, Winston Churchill, said of the team, "some chicken... some neck!".

In a brilliant move, Cardiff University's Ultimate Frisbee team, no frills have again pulled a fast one under the noses of every other club in the region. The brilliance of the strategic retreat is still obscured, but will soon become apparent for all to see in typically spectacular fashion. Having fooled the other clubs into believing that our first team are vulnerable to defeat, a renewed, and shock advance will be made upon the trophies. Next time, the puny opposition will wander into our grasp complacently unaware of the danger posed to their winning streak and then we shall strike! Total victory will be ours and then... the world!

The second team also turned out well, coming in as the highest placed second team in the tournament.

For the second week in a row, the fearless, intrepid freshers team of no frills, Cardiff University Ultimate sallied forth into the world of beginners tournaments. After another terrific weekend of opponent-thrashing they came away with another addition to the trophy cabinet, racking up a second victory and setting the rest of the region a-trembling in preperation for regionals.
The first team also put up a strong performance, snatching 3rd place from a gaggle of first teams.

Long version:
The galant freshers of No Frills travelled north to Sheffield to fight for the honour and glory of the club in a beginners tournament. Reports from eyewitnesses describe the armageddon unleased by the might and power of our truly magnificent warriors upon the feable squads entered by the opposition. With barely a scratch against them in the quest to final victory, no frills finest powered home to a spectacular victory overcoming those opposed two-points clear, with a final score of seven-five. In taking this victory from under the sluggish noses of the.... [That's enough of that. -Ed.]

Short Version:
We won.

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