Sheedy surprised after viral header in Cardiff's 21-15 URC win at Llanelli

Callum Sheedy said he did not realise his headed clearance during Cardiff’s 21-15 United Rugby Championship victory over Scarlets in Llanelli on Saturday night would become a viral clip.

Sheedy, a Cardiff fly-half who has played 17 times for Wales, headed the ball forward after chasing his own kick in the second half; the video has attracted more than 800,000 hits across social media. "I probably wasn't thinking at the time, that was the problem," said Sheedy. "I remember the ball sitting up, and I could see Blair [Murray] coming towards me, and I thought it was going be an aerial contest. I thought there needed to be a way of me getting the ball past him, and there wasn't enough time to get it down to my foot, so the nearest body part was my head. It all happened so fast."

Sheedy said he had not expected the public reaction and found the attention amusing. "I had a laugh, looking back at the video and the boys give me a bit of stick," he said. "I didn't think of it at the time. After the game, I'd gone on my phone and my Instagram had blown up a bit. I'm glad people are enjoying it."

The use of the head in that moment has prompted debate about the laws of the game, with former World Cup final referee Nigel Owens posting this week that he thought it was illegal if it was deliberate. "I think it's a split 50-50 among the public," said Sheedy. "I always thought it was legal, but enough people are telling me it's illegal, but who knows? Until the next person that does it, we'll never know."

Sheedy likened the act to the kind of improvisation associated with former Cardiff fly-half Mark Ring. "I am waiting for Ringo [Mark Ring] to text me and I expect him to," he said. He contributed to Cardiff's win in Llanelli before being replaced in the second half by Jarrod Evans, who has returned to Cardiff from Harlequins this season; with Ioan Lloyd currently injured, head coach Corniel van Zyl has three Wales fly-halves to call on.

On competition for the number 10 shirt, Sheedy stressed individual responsibility and healthy rivalry within the squad. "All I can do as a player is try my best and perform the best I can," he said. "We all want to be number one, so how we go about that is going to be challenging because we're all going to want to play. I'm sure it'll be healthy competition."

Cardiff return to the Arms Park to face Zebre on Friday night, with Sheedy highlighting the impact of home support and the club's aim to replicate last season's strong home form. "It does make a big difference," he said. "Hopefully we get a big crowd because I remember last season there were a lot of close games, and in the last 10 minutes, the crowd got us over the line. Corniel speaks a lot about making the Arms Park a fortress and we managed that last season."

There is also expectation around Cardiff this season after their sixth-place finish in the 2025-26 campaign and qualification for the Champions Cup. "You've got to welcome that expectation," Sheedy said. "We got in the play-offs, but the good sides back it up. I am confident in the squad. We had a great pre-season and good start to the season, so let's see if we can kick on."

Cardiff will name their side to face Zebre on Thursday and have back-three concerns, with wing Mason Grady (head cut) and full-back Cameron Winnett (head) both major doubts; Wales wing Josh Adams remains absent with a calf problem, while Iwan Stephens and Theo Cabango are long-term casualties. Wing Tom Bowen is line to come into the starting side for Friday with centre Harri Millard another option on the other flank, and Jacob Beetham able to switch to full-back.