Sheedy header goes viral as Cardiff beat Scarlets
Cardiff opened their United Rugby Championship season with a 21-15 win at Scarlets — and a header from fly-half Callum Sheedy that has been watched more than 800,000 times.
The Welsh derby was played on Saturday, 26 September at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli. Cardiff Rugby's official report gives the final score as Scarlets 15 Cardiff Rugby 21 Cardiff Rugby.
The moment everyone is talking about came in the second half. Sheedy, Cardiff's chief playmaker and goal-kicker, chased his own kick and nodded the ball forward with his head BBC Sport.
He said he did not realise it would go viral. Sheedy added that his Instagram had blown up after the game.
The clip has since passed 800,000 views across social media. Former World Cup final referee Nigel Owens joined in online, saying he thought a deliberate header was illegal.
Sheedy did not finish the match. He was replaced in the second half by Jarrod Evans, who has returned to Cardiff from Harlequins this season.
Evans made his mark quickly. He kicked his first points for Cardiff in 1,253 days to stretch the lead to 21-15 Cardiff Rugby. With Ioan Lloyd currently injured, the battle for the number 10 shirt matters.
For fans, this was a strong start. An away win in a Welsh derby. Round 1 points on the board in a league that spans Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and South Africa.
Next up, Cardiff host Zebre at the Arms Park on Friday night. Head coach Corniel van Zyl will lean on home form. Cardiff lost only one home game last season and finished sixth in 2025-26 to qualify for the Champions Cup, Europe's top club competition.
There are doubts, though. Mason Grady and Cameron Winnett are major doubts with head issues. Josh Adams is out with a calf problem, while Iwan Stephens and Theo Cabango remain long-term absentees.
What makes this stand out is the sheer football-ness of it. Six words from Sheedy's phone tell the story. He never expected a nod of the head to steal a derby win.
