Scorpions take rugby league to union fortress
Iconic Welsh rugby union stadium Cardiff Arms Park is set to host a festival of rugby league soon.
South Wales Scorpions are headlining a three-match event to be held at the stadium on Sunday July 27.
The Scorpions’ Championship One game with London Skolars is the main event, kicking off at 3pm, but there are some mouthwatering support acts on the bill for Welsh league fans to enjoy too.
The two teams’ Under-19s clash at 1pm, while Penallta-based Valley Cougars will tangle with the Gwendraeth Valley Raiders, based in Kidwelly, at 11am.
Tag matches between local schools are also scheduled for half-time in the Scorpions v Skolars game.
The event marks a rugby league return to the old stadium, with our game first being played there in 1996. That was when a crowd of 6,078 watched the old South Wales team take on Carlisle Border Raiders.
The Welsh outfit won that game 37-18, before St Helens beat Sheffield Eagles 43-32, in a Super League game. Those were the days when Super League sides took games ‘on the road’, and this was actually classed as an Eagles home game.
The South Wales team played a further four games threre in 1996, emerging victorious from all of them.
Only two other rugby league games have been played at Cardiff Arms Park in its history. Wales played England in a test match there in 1996, losing 26-12.
Castleford also beat Warrington there in 1998, another ‘on the road’ Super League clash.
Mike Grady, head coach of South Wales Scorpions, is relishing the prospect of his team playing on the stadium’s 4G artificial pitch.
“This is fantastic news that South Wales Scorpions will be playing a match in Cardiff. The lads can’t wait to play on the 4G surface and I hope that it will be a fantastic day out.
“You will see some of the best that Rugby League in South Wales has to offer.
“The South Wales under 19s contributed all bar one of the players for the Wales under 19 side who recently won Bronze in the Commonwealth Championship while Gwendraeth Valley Raiders and Valley Cougars are both producing great players in West and East Wales respectively.
“I hope that this will the first of an annual event.”
Chris Thair, the Welsh Rugby League’s chief operations officer, believes that the event will also give an economic boost to the area.
“Cardiff was a fantastic destination for Rugby League in 2013 and we hope the public get behind the sport once again,” he said.
“The World Cup Opening Ceremony, held in Cardiff last year, in which Wales played Italy drew a record attendance for a Welsh International Rugby League fixture, 45,052.
“Research carried out by Repucom showed the direct economic impact for Cardiff due to hosting the opening ceremony was £8.5million.
“These are all fantastic figures which show the sport of rugby league and the city of Cardiff work well together. We thank Parkwood Leisure [event sponsors] for their support in helping to secure the venue and know that all teams will provide those that attend with some unbelievable entertainment.”