From CAP To Where?

The tectonic plates that Welsh rugby sit upon ensure life is rarely dull and news that the Welsh Rugby Union are the verge of taking on 100% of Newport and are actively glancing at the other three ensures that there is currently much to think about. For Cardiff supporters, this throws up some interesting & unsettling thoughts.

Being one of the latter is probably the closest thing you can get to the rugby equivalent of the heroine from 50 Shades of Grey …. I mean, so I’ve heard (apparently)! Wander down to the Arms Park on match days and the air is thick with talk of redevelopment, Union buy-outs & ‘Why can’t I have a pint in the nice bar before the game?’. As alluded to in previous blogs, being a Cardiff supporter means being just a little different and thinking in a slightly different way; some will call it aloofness, but it really is about standards. Heritage is deeply cherished, the Arms Park is our Camelot, and whilst passion does run deep it is rarely one-eyed. Cardiff supporters take pride in viewing a Saturday night game in Gloucester as attractively as a Boxing Day rout of Newport! This explains why news of redevelopment is stirring the hearts and minds of many supporters.

There is no doubt that the Arms Park is starting to take on a Norma Desmond-esque quality, tired and old but holding a thousand memories and, when she is in the groove, there are few better. For all that redevelopment is required, I will confess to shedding a tear when the stadium is flattened. Of course, the big question is where will the team play whilst CAP is rebuilt? There was a fine blog by Steve Coombs on the subject; if you haven’t already done so, do read it.

Sophia Gardens, Principality Stadium or even the Athletic Stadium in Canton (not Leckwith, not ever Leckwith) all have plus and minus points. These will need to be covered in subsequent blogs, it is just too big a topic! So instead I will be regional and touch on some of the other options.

So let’s consider one option:Pontypridd. Safely nestled into the cwtch of the green Taff valley, home to the National Anthem & Tom Jones, the one idiosyncratic Welsh valley club could be a temporary home to professional rugby again. An option is to reach out to the loud, unapologetic (not to mention bloody frustrating & let’s face it overly expectant) neighbour to lend a hand. I will be honest and say I have never really bought the idea that Cardiff and Pontypridd are rivals of any vintage. Our derby game is Newport, and Bridgend was always a bigger game, but their supporters love to hate us (and secretly hate to love us) so this can slide, for now.

Sardis Road is an interesting place. It is a much-loved ground but, on the face of it, in no real state to host professional rugby, 3G pitch notwithstanding. A fair bit of money –that we supposedly don’t have-would need to be spent to get it up to professional standards: there is nowhere near enough seats, no where to park and a general sense of unkemptness. There is a real possibility that there will not be that many Pontypridd supporters in attendance should Cardiff run out against Leinster or Glasgow at 5pm on a Saturday night, and the risk that not many Cardiff supporters will make the trip to a venue where anti-Cardiff fever is often palpably unpleasant rather than just amusing. I am struck by the image at the one pre-season Cardiff Blues game vs. an anonymous Select XV held at Sardis Road when some bar staff wore ‘Never be Blue’ t-shirts.

The Wern in Merthyr would be an option considered way too left field upto a season or two ago. Home to another 3G, the ground is within a Anscombe touchfinder of the A470, and well placed to attract support from the southern chunk of Powys. Facilities are developing here and it could appeal to the idea of recognizing efforts to create another strong strand to the development pathway. Transport links across the area are good – Arriva Trains Wales are shaping up to be a major sponsor in years to come.

So the idea of being a mobile team should not be immediately dismissed. There is no doubt that money will need to spent on getting the alternative ground up and running but rather than an all eggs in one basket approach, exploration of as to whether other venues such as Jenner Park in Barry could be used. There needs to be engagement with supporters, sponsors and clubs themselves; not to foster entitlement but to gain enlightenment. Communication must be initiated with all stakeholders to ensure support for any decision made.

Being nomadic for a few seasons across the wider region (small r) would potentially allow supporters to get closer to a level of rugby that many demand. It would show that rather than being the pantomime villain Cardiff rugby is again trailblazing its way forward for Welsh rugby with a degree of positivity and openness. If marketed properly, young players who may not be able to make the Arms Park for whatever reason may get the opportunity to see professional rugby and develop an appreciation of its rhythms that the Welsh Premiership cannot offer.

Cardiff temporarily playing away from CAP could then be a force for good, as there will be an undoubted legacy as any chosen ground will be left in a far better state than it is now and the possibility, though perhaps a remote one, of capturing new hearts and minds. Conversely, the question must be asked what is in it for Cardiff supporters, what would attract us to an away ground for a game and would this result in more loses to the already haemorraging core support than might be gained?

What is best for Cardiff rugby, its needs and its professional future must be at the forefront of the Board’s decision. If it chooses a challenging, Non-Diff location, it would be a huge mistake to assume that a natural flow of supporters will follow. The Trust will ensure that member views are fed into any decision and we’d be pleased to hear your thoughts accordingly.