The Cardiff Redhawks were formed in 2004 by a handful of students from Cardiff University, many of whom had never played before. Their first game was against a local team, the Cardiff Titans, on the 7th of May 2005 following an NHL exhibition game. The squad began to grow by bringing in players from neighbouring universities such as UWIC, Glamorgan, Swansea and Newport.
In September 2005 the Redhawks joined the BUIHA, entering teams in the Second (Southern) and Third Divisions. The year proved to be very successful; with the A Team securing second place in their division as well as the Second Tier National Tournament title, and the B Team were runners up in the Third Tier Nationals.
The following year began with the closure of the Wales National Ice Rink and the construction of the Cardiff Bay Ice Rink. Delays in construction left the Redhawks without a home for much of the 06-07 season, forcing the A Team to withdraw from the season.
The A Team represented themselves in Tier One of the 2007 BUIHA Nationals, but fared poorly, loosing all their matches and placing bottom. The Redhawks found solace in the success of the B Team who managed to improve on their previous season, winning the Third Tier Nationals.
The 2007-08 season saw the Redhawks regain their stability; the A Team returned to Tier Two South, with the B Team entering their third season in Tier Three. The Redhawks also gained membership to the Cardiff University Athletic Union.
The A Team clinched second place with a post Christmas undefeated streak. They fell short though in the Nationals, managing only 5th place. The B Team overachieved once again, settling for 3rd place in a much more competitive Tier Three tournament.
2008-09 promised to be a fruitful season, with the A Team feeling confident in Div 2 South and the B Team preparing for a very strong season. The first semester saw the Redhawks storm to the top of their division, until they were sent crashing back down to reality by Imperial College.
Following the Christmas break, The A Team soldiered on, with the hope of beating Imperial at the return meeting. But a series of administration errors saw the match abandoned, and awarded as a 0-0 draw. Thankfully for the Redhawks, they were the more consistent team throughout the season, and so earned the Div 2 South title.
Meanwhile the B Team began their romp through Div 3 South dropping just one game against Nottingham C. Their form continued on into Div 3 Nationals where successful shootouts in the final two rounds saw the Div 3 Plate return to Cardiff. Fresh from the nationals, the B Team wrapped up their division and defeated Northern champions Sheffield C for the title of Division 3 Champions.
Once again the A Teams Nationals performance fell short, with another 5th place position after missing out on the playoff stages by a single penalty point. The Redhawks now hope to perform well in the newly formed DCF Summer Cup; a competition comprising of several recriational teams located in the Cardiff area.
The Celtic Cup
The Redhawks also participate in the Celtic Cup Varsity; an annual one off challenge game against the Edinburgh Eagles who are the only other non-English team in the BUIHA.
The competition has been running for the past three years, the location alternating between Cardiff Bay and Murrayfield, Edinburgh. The 2009 match was be held in Cardiff, with the Redhawks losing by 4 goals to 1. The first ever Celtic Plate was also held in Cardiff this year, with the Redhawks B defeating the Edinburgh Beagles 5 - 3.
Season Results
A Team |
B Team |
Celtic Cup/Plate |
|
2006 |
Division 2 South: 2nd National Championships D2: 1st |
Division 3: 2nd National Championships D3: 2nd |
Eagles 9 - 4 Redhawks |
2007 |
Division 1: Withdrew National Championships D1: 10th |
Division 3: 3rd National Championships D3: 1st |
Redhawks 3 - 7 Eagles |
2008 |
Division 2 South: 2nd National Champioships D2: 5th |
Division 3 South: 3rd National Championships D3: 3rd |
Eagles 19 - 1 Redhawks |
2009 |
Division 2 South: 1st National Champioships D2: 5th |
Division 3: 1st National Championships D3: 1st |
Redhawks 1 - 4 Eagles Redhawks B 5 - 3 Beagles |