Welcome to the Fencing Club!
*Now updated for the 23/24 year*
About Us:
The Cardiff University Fencing Club caters for all abilities, from complete beginners to Olympic hopefuls; and we have a wide range of members that partake in recreational and competitive fencing.
Membership also includes access to additional training sessions at Cardiff Academy of Fencing, for those looking to take their fencing further and have access to more advanced coaching.
For beginners, we offer a six-week training course with our coaches in the first semester, followed by the annual beginner’s competition. After this, more training is available to introduce you to the different weapons, before integrating with the rest of the club after Christmas. No equipment is required for this course!
Training Times:
Our main training court bookings are Monday 17:30-19:30 and Friday 19:30-21:30, held on courts 5 and 6 in the far hall of Talybont Sports Centre (down the corridor to the left as you enter the reception.
Both sessions are open to all beginners, intermediates & experienced fencers alike and are usually followed by a friendly social in one of the nearby pubs. Fencers are advised to wear trainers and bring water. Please wear long trousers or bring long socks, as this is in line with the British Fencing Association safety regulations.
Kit Loan:
Don't have your own kit? That's ok! We offer a kit loan of the core jacket, plastron, and glove, so you can avoid sharing sweaty kit with other members! This allows you to get fencing quicker at the start of sessions, and take the kit home to wash it yourself. When taking out the kit loan you will be given more detailed instructions of how to look after it. Please do not tumble dry fencing kit!
Competitive Teams
Our Men's 1st and Women's 1st compete in the Western 1A (one division below the premiership) divisions with our and Men's 2nd in Western 2A League of British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS). BUCS matches will begin as usual in October.
Players with national or international experience may be supported by Cardiff University's High Performance Programme.
Competitions
There are a range of competitions for all levels throughout the year are often available to all members (depending on Covid-19 developments and Welsh Fencing restrictions). These include:
- Local competitions such as the Russell Swords Championships (October), Welsh Universities Championships (March) and the end of year Club Championships / Moses Shield (June).
- National opens on our doorstep e.g. Welsh Open (November) & Oxfam Open (December).
- Road trips to competitions further afield including the BUCS Individuals (February) and BUCS Regionals (February)
- Friendly competitions within the club run throughout the year
All BUCS competitors are required by BUCS to have a BFA membership ("Compete" level for BUCS Individuals, "Starter"/"Recreational" for only team competition)
Socials & Club Events
We usually run a range of socials that are open to all including club nights, ice skating, fancy dress events, escape rooms, badminton and more! We also have Fencing Family Socials (freshers = children, seniors = parents) which are a great way to start integrating with more senior members of the club. Additionally, we aim to hold two formal events a year: one before Christmas, and one at the end of the year.
Memberships
Our Standard Membership includes access to all Uni training sessions throughout the year & sessions at the Cardiff Academy of Fencing, professional group coaching in second semester, access to electric weapons, and pistes and opportunity to access competitions.
Our Premium Membership includes all the above of standard, as well as additional 1 on 1 training with one of our coaches during warm-up at the start of sessions once the GIAG’s have ended - this is done on a rotor with other premium membership holders.
Our One Semester Membershipincludes all the perks and benefits of our standard membership but is only for a semester. Perfect for Erasmus Students and busy Masters/PHD Students!
If you're not a student at Cardiff University, you'll be able to purchase the associate membership however you will not be able to compete in the University BUCS teams.
Refunds are only available if you have made no use of your membership (i.e. not having attended training at the University/Russell Swords, having competed or attended socials).
Contact Us
Find us on Facebook Page (and group) and Instagram. You can also email us at fencing@cardiff.ac.uk. Any and all questions/queries welcome!
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