Capacity: 73,350
By plane: Wales International Airport
By car: M4 then A48
By train & bus: Cardiff Central station, Queen Street station
Millennium Stadium: Jewel of the Red Dragons
The successor to the mythical Arms Park delights Welsh rugby fans and even English soccer fans who congregated there each year for the FA Cup final while Wembley was being rebuilt.
Before moving to one of the word’s most modern stadia, Wales could pride themselves on playing at a ground considered a temple of rugby: the Cardiff Arms Park. It was there that generations of Welsh fans galvanised their heroes and unsettled opponents with a mighty rendering of « Land of my fathers ». It was often enough to tip the scales as opponents were submerged beneath a wave of red-shirted Welshmen. The 1970s saw the entire country reverberating to the rhythm of a magnificent Wales side led by that incomparable scrum-half Gareth Edwards, one of the rare sporting heroes to have been raised to legendary status in his own lifetime. With Barry John and then Phil Bennett as his outside half and the mighty JPR Williams at full back they gave Wales three Grand Slams (1971, 1976 and 1978) and six Five Nations triumphs in nine years. The Arms Park, an impregnable fortress, was the setting for the golden age of Welsh rugby.
A second Rugby World Cup for the Millennium
The Arms Park was considered too old for the 1999 Rugby World Cup and a spanking new ground, the Millennium Stadium, was erected in its place with a 72,500 capacity and sliding roof. Its predecessor may have a rich history but the Millennium Stadium has already carved out a niche, starting with the 1999 RWC which saw Australia beat France 35-12 in the final, the English FA Cup soccer finals and a resurgence in fortune for the Red Dragons who in 2005 achieved their first Six Nations Grand Slam there since 1978.
Useful info
Going to the stadium by public transport takes :
- 5-10 min walk from Central station
- 10-15 min walk from Queen Street station
- 35 min by train from the airport
- 40-45 min by bus from the airport
Cardiff International Airport : + 44 (0)8701 211 250
www.cwlfly.com
Address:
Westgate Street
Cardiff
