Welsh regions double-header at the Millenium stadium this year

WALES'S regions are set to stage a double-header at the Millennium Stadium in the coming rugby season.

The Pro12 league matches will see the Blues taking on the Ospreys and the Dragons meeting the Scarlets.

Details of the games are likely to be announced at a press conference in Cardiff tomorrow, hosted jointly by Regional Rugby Wales and the Welsh Rugby Union.

A deal has reportedly been struck to guarantee that the double-header will be held annually over the next four years.

The regions will hope to emulate the success of leading sides in England, who have attracted crowds of more than 50,000 for bumper Twickenham encounters on the same day.

The professional sides in Wales are unlikely to take it in turns to act as hosts, with the Ospreys and the Scarlets apparently reluctant to ask their supporters to travel to Cardiff for home fixtures.

So the Millennium Stadium games are expected to count as home dates for the Blues and Dragons, with the pair sharing the gate receipts.

glamorganalun wrote:Scarletspiderman:

There have been games lost over Xmas due to freezing weather such as the Ospreys toilets, Dragons and the Blues grounds freezing (at CCS, heating not set to work). At the MS the roof and under soil heating would ensure games go ahead, also the transport links are good. I used to go to Ponty V Cardiff games over Xmas coming "home" from where I lived in Surrey, I think it is a good time for the games. This scheme will bring in supporters that watch rugby but not tied to a region and more likely to watch both matches. It may turn out the event may attract more attendees that don't attend regional games over time (just like the Wales matches).

The loss of the derby matches over the Xmas period tend to be an expensive loss to the clubs as the crowds tend to be much lower for the rescheduled game. I think it is win win for the Dragons and Blues, when ever the games are played as they should share the takings and the WRU the concession income.

HERSH wrote:Drive!

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

HERSH wrote:Drive!

As per usually you missed the whole point of the argument and dived straight in with a pointless reply.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:I have friends who live in Aber, and usually when they want to come to Cardiff on the train they have to travel via Shrewsbury and stay the night to make it worth while, especially for a double header I doubt you'd find a train going back late enough to get you home.

Where as trains run East into England all the time (and North to Manchester/Birmingham)

offload wrote:I read somewhere that this double header had taken 5 years to plan ???

Two games of rugby on the same day in one stadium.......5 years to plan! Great to know that the game in Wales is in such dynamic hands.

rugbydreamer wrote:Actualyl you know 5 years wouldn't surprise me. If none of the regions had wanted to give up their home games, and they are all as equally stubborn as the other, plus how bad communications ahve been betweent he regions and wru....yeah 5 years sounds about right to me!

rugbydreamer wrote:Actualyl you know 5 years wouldn't surprise me. If none of the regions had wanted to give up their home games, and they are all as equally stubborn as the other, plus how bad communications ahve been betweent he regions and wru....yeah 5 years sounds about right to me!

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

offload wrote:I read somewhere that this double header had taken 5 years to plan ???

Two games of rugby on the same day in one stadium.......5 years to plan! Great to know that the game in Wales is in such dynamic hands.

I reckon Roger Lewis is telling porkies on that one. I'm sure he's never even mentioned the possibility of a double-header before. And if it really has been five years in the planning, you'd think they'd have arranged it for a better time of the season!