Cardiff Arms Park
- Cardiff Blues (2003-2009, since 2012 )
- Cardiff RFC ( since 1969 )
Junior World Championship 2008
Cardiff Arms Park ( Welsh: Parc yr Arfau Caerdydd ) is a stadium for rugby union in the center of the Welsh city of Cardiff. It is the home of the Cardiff Blues and Cardiff RFC. The capacity is 12,500 spectators. Once stood on the site of two stages which were known as Cardiff Rugby Ground and National Stadium. The latter was demolished in 1997 and two years later replaced by the Millennium Stadium, which is directly adjacent to the still existing stadium.
History
The Cardiff Arms Park was originally a marshy meadow, called the Great Park behind the Cardiff Arms Hotel and was owned by the Marquess of Bute. The eponymous hotel was demolished in 1878. The Marquess of Bute decreed that the site should only be used for recreational activities. 1881/82 was the first grandstand for 300 spectators. 1922 bought the Cardiff Arms Park Company Limited, the grounds for £ 30,000 and leased it for 99 years at the Cardiff Athletic Club, the annual lease fee was 200 pounds.
1934, the North Stand (North Stand ) was built seven years later she was hit by a bomb the German Luftwaffe. In June 1953, the Welsh Rugby Union ( WRU ) decided to stage all matches in Cardiff Arms Park. During the British Empire and Commonwealth Games 1958, the drainage system had been so badly damaged that the rugby union associations of England, Ireland and Scotland complained about the poor condition of the lawn. A committee then gave alternative locations out, but could present no satisfactory solution. The plans for a stadium in Bridgend were dropped in 1964.
At that time the Cardiff Arms Park included a cricket field of Glamorgan County Cricket Club in the north as well as the used by the national team and the Cardiff RFC rugby stadium in the south. After negotiations with the Cardiff Athletic Club, the lease was taken over by the WRU in July 1968. After the Cardiff RFC was moved to the cricket field, the work could begin on the new National Stadium.
1970, the new stadium of Cardiff RFC and the north stand of the National Stadium were opened. The West Stand followed in 1977, the East Stand in 1980. Upon completion of the South Stand in April 1984, the national stadium could accommodate 65,000 spectators. For security reasons, the spectator capacity of the National Stadium in the following years had to be gradually reduced to 53,000. If you convert to a pure seat stadium capacity would be further decreased to 47,500.
A few years after its completion, the National Stadium was already considered too small. It was demolished in 1997 and gave way to the Millennium Stadium, which opened two years later. To gain more space, the new stadium is in contrast to his predecessor not from east to west aligned, but from north to south. The North Stand of the Millennium Stadium is directly connected to the smaller stadium of Cardiff RFC.
Future
The future of the Cardiff Arms Park is uncertain. On 19 September 2007, the Cardiff Blues have announced that they will move to the new Cardiff City Stadium, which was built in the Leckwith area and is shared with the football club Cardiff City. The Cardiff Athletic Club is still in possession of the property, but the order of the Marquess of Bute, that the land must be used for recreational purposes, shall continue to apply. On the other hand, the site is attractive for construction projects due to the location close to the center. A decision of the Cardiff Athletic Club on the future of Cardiff Arms Park is still pending. In May 2012, the Cardiff Blues have announced that they will play from the 2012/13 season again at Cardiff Arms Park, in response to declining attendances at Cardiff City Stadium.