The Vale Vikings are an Australian Rules Football team based in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.[1] They play in the Welsh Australian Rules Football League under the 9-a-side footy rules. The team was formerly known as the Cardiff Double Blues until 2021.

Vale Vikings
Names
Club details
Founded2007
ColoursDark Blue and Light Blue
CompetitionWelsh Australian Rules Football League
Premierships2008
Ground(s)Old Penarthians RFC, St. Mark's Road, Penarth CF64 3PF
Other information
Official website[www.facebook.com/ValeVikingsAFC/]

History

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Cardiff Double Blues ARFC has a history of being one of the founder clubs of the Welsh Australian Rules Football League (WARFL) in 2007.[citation needed]

Since that date, Cardiff Double Blues ARFC has achieved considerable success. The club won the inaugural WARFL Premiership and Caerdydd Cup local derby against arch-rivals, the South Cardiff Panthers, in 2008. The club also won the first ever pre-season Cymru Clwb Cup tournament in 2009.[2]

In March 2021, it was announced that the team would be relocating to the Vale of Glamorgan and as a result would change their name to the Vale Vikings.[3]

Past results

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Year Position Won Lost Points
2008 1 7 1 14
2009 3 5 7 10
2010 3 5 3 10

2010 squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 {{{pos}}}   AUS Justin Blackwood (Coach)
2 {{{pos}}}   ENG Ben Coak
3 {{{pos}}}   WAL Gareth Davies
4 {{{pos}}}   WAL Peter Day
5 {{{pos}}}   WAL Craig Farquhar
6 {{{pos}}}   WAL Leon Ford
7 {{{pos}}}   WAL Tom Gilard
8 {{{pos}}}   WAL Chris Hann
9 {{{pos}}}   WAL Rob Laing
10 {{{pos}}}   WAL Rhys Lewis
11 {{{pos}}}   WAL Tristan Lewis (Captain)
12 {{{pos}}}   AUS Michael Martella
13 {{{pos}}}   WAL Richard McCoy
14 {{{pos}}}   WAL Rhys Morgan
15 {{{pos}}}   ENG Glyn Smith
16 {{{pos}}}   WAL Gareth Sturge
17 {{{pos}}}   WAL Ben Thomas
18 {{{pos}}}   AUS Tony Wolski

International representation

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The club has contributed significantly to the growth of Australian-rules football at an international- level in Europe by encouraging its players to strive to represent their national teams and Great Britain. Thus far, Cardiff Double Blues ARFC players have represented the following:

  • Cymru Red Dragons (Welsh National Australian Rules Football Team)
  • English Dragonslayers (English National Australian Rules Football Team)
  • Great Britain Bulldogs (British Representative Team)
  • European Legion (European Representative Team)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Official WARFL homepage". Archived from the original on 5 June 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  2. ^ Cardiff Double Blues ARFC 1st Annual Report 2010 Available at: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/cardiffdoubleblues/d/documents.html
  3. ^ "Cardiff Double Blues arfc on Facebook". Vale Vikings. 20 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
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