Cardiff City midfielder Rubin Colwill says the Bluebirds still have significant scope for improvement under manager Brian Barry-Murphy after opening their Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw against Wrexham on 28 July 2025. Colwill struck a dramatic 98th-minute free-kick to rescue a point for Cardiff, according to Sky Sports, in a fixture that carried extra significance as the club's first Championship match back in the second tier against local rivals Wrexham.
Before kick-off in Cardiff, Barry-Murphy had spoken of his determination to prove wrong those who tipped his side for an immediate return to League One following automatic promotion last season. Colwill, however, believes the priority now is consolidating the progress made during the promotion-winning campaign rather than reinventing the team's approach.
"We know what we're good at, the areas and the things we can do that can hurt teams," he said.
"We have a really big focus on what we can do and how we can keep improving, keep getting better and hopefully win a lot of games."
Does Cardiff need to change its style for the Championship?
Colwill does not think a shift in tactics is necessary now that Cardiff have returned to the second tier.
"I think it's more about doing the same stuff but better," he added.
"I think you can sometimes think 'we need to do this, we need to do that', but I think we've shown what we are going to do to everybody out there."
"Everybody who comes and watches every week, you know what we're about now."
"But it's just fine-tuning that and getting better, more intense, more detail on the passes and just keep improving, keep getting better, which I think we've got a lot of work to do on and there's a lot of room for us to keep getting better."
How did the equaliser come about?
The leveller arrived after George Dobson fouled Colwill's brother, Joel Colwill, on the edge of the area, setting up the free-kick that Rubin Colwill converted to snatch a share of the spoils, according to ESPN's match report.
How has injury affected Colwill's recent form?
Colwill missed 15 league matches between late November and early February last season because of an ankle injury, yet still managed eight goals and six assists across 31 league appearances as Cardiff secured automatic promotion. Barry-Murphy admitted after the Wrexham draw that he had been reluctant to introduce Colwill from the bench as early as he did, given the player's recent fitness issues.
Colwill insists he has done all he can to be ready for the new campaign.
"I feel good. I had a little bit of a niggly injury with my ankle, but luckily it was nothing serious," he added.
"Hopefully I can keep building that and be in tip-top shape for the coming weeks."
"I'm feeling really good, I'm doing all the work."
"A lot of stuff is out of your control, but as long as you do the work, you can't really do much else."
What is the background to Cardiff's rebuild?
The club's long-term planning appears to extend well beyond this single result. Earlier in 2026, Colwill signed a new contract with Cardiff running until 2030, a move that underlined the club's intention to build the squad around the Wales international, according to a national broadcaster's report. Before the Wrexham match, Cardiff's only outfield summer signing had been midfielder Jack Moylan, recruited from Lincoln City, as reported by a national broadcaster's article. That same report noted Barry-Murphy had expressed hope that Colwill might feature against Wrexham despite his fitness concerns, while defender Dylan Lawlor was considered unlikely to be available.
What happens next for Cardiff and Barry-Murphy?
Barry-Murphy has since committed his long-term future to the club, signing a new contract that runs until 2029, according to RTÉ Sport. The extension is understood to form part of Cardiff's broader plan to build steadily on last season's promotion rather than make wholesale changes. Details of Cardiff's next Championship fixture were not available at the time of writing.
Key Facts
- Cardiff drew 1-1 with Wrexham in their opening Championship fixture on 28 July 2025.
- Rubin Colwill scored the equaliser with a free-kick in the 98th minute.
- The free-kick followed a foul by George Dobson on Joel Colwill.
- Colwill missed 15 league games last season with an ankle injury but still recorded eight goals and six assists in 31 appearances.
- Brian Barry-Murphy has signed a new Cardiff contract running until 2029.
