The Welsh side have dominated the competition in recent times and went into the final having won the previous three championships. UWIC were firm favourites for a fourth consecutive title and so it proved.
Newcomers Leeds Met Carnegie were hoping that that their recent form, including wins against Loughborough and St Andrews in the semis and quarter finals, would be enough to defeat UWIC.
The final was a family affair as sisters Kim and Meg Youdan donned the captain’s armband and No. 13 shirt for opposite sides, with UWIC’s Meg proudly returning the cup to Cardiff.
Leeds Met Carnegie looked likely to take the lead with two penalties in the first seven minutes but fly half and England Under 20 international, Clare Garner, missed the opportunity to put the first points on the board with a loose kick and the second penalty was put into touch.
UWIC capitalised on a turnover and prop Hannah Roberts gave UWIC the first points of the day with a try in the 10th minute. However, Welsh international Mared Evans failed to find the distance in her conversion with a kick just short of the posts.
In the 14th minute Rose Fong latched on to a good pass from Kim Youdan to sprint 70 yards and give Leeds Met Carnegie their first try of the day. Clare Garner couldn’t match Fong’s run, missing the posts and losing out on the extra two points.
It was Welsh U20 international Ceri Redman who scored UWIC’s second try. With two minutes before the end of the first half UWIC won a scrum against the head and Vicky Owens scored a push-over try. With no conversions the scores at half time were three tries to one in UWIC’s favour.
The second half opened with a converted try from UWIC’s Mared Evans. The second year Sports Development & Coaching student continued her form with another try in the 60th minute, bringing her personal tally to 12 points.
In the 63rd minute Leeds Met hit back at UWIC with a converted try from Clare Garner. This was to no avail as with eight minutes left on the clock UWIC increased their advantage with a pushover try from Owens, her second of the day and the last of the game.
