Judgement Day V confirmed

Put it in your calendar boys and girls, two games in Cardiff for a tenner again. It was a cracking day out last time, I will be going again this time around as well.


The Welsh Rugby Union are hoping to top last year's record attendance and sell-out the Principality Stadium.

Judgement Day V will take place on Saturday, April 15, at the Principality Stadium, with ticket prices frozen at £10 and the WRU hoping for a sell-out.

A record 68,262 crowd turned out for last season’s back-to-back Welsh derbies, with the double header having steadily grown in popularity in recent years.

The fixtures will be the same this term, with Cardiff Blues taking on the Ospreys at 2.45pm and the Dragons meeting the Scarlets at 5.15pm.

Last season’s event surpassed the previous record attendance at any match involving a region - the 65,756 who saw the Ospreys beat Leicester at Twickenham in the 2008 EDF Energy Cup Final.

And it also broke the Welsh domestic record of 58,000 fans who attended the Neath v Llanelli WRU Challenge Cup Final in 1989.

WRU chairman Gareth Davies believes this season’s fifth incarnation of the Welsh Pro12 derby double could go one better by delivering a full house.

“There is no reason why this celebration of our regional game will not become an annual sell-out at Principality Stadium and we expect this to be the first year,” said Davies.

“Fans have been buying tickets early for Judgement Day since the first one and we would encourage everyone to get their tickets quickly again this year to avoid disappointment.

“To see an atmosphere in our national ground akin to a Welsh international match for the regional game for Judgement Day IV was heart-warming and shows that, if we can get the product right week in week out, the future is bright for Guinness PRO12 rugby and for our national game in general.

“The Judgement Day concept was a sound one from its inception and last season supporters bought into it in their droves, showing the passion and loyalty of the fans in Wales.

“This season’s event will be even bigger and better than those that have gone before.

“There is no other occasion when fans can see the very best of Welsh rugby together under one roof, outside of an international match, and I hope JDV really captures the imagination of fans in Wales once again.”

Blues head coach Danny Wilson said: “Judgement Day has proved to be a brilliant showpiece event for the Guinness PRO12 and continues to grow.

“It’s a great occasion for everyone involved, has provided a stage for some top quality rugby and demonstrates the appetite for the regional game.

“We look forward to returning to the Principality Stadium and hope for an even bigger crowd in 2017.”

Dragons chief executive Stuart Davies added: “It’s been great to see how Judgement Day has grown year on year. It is now established as a calendar event for rugby fans from all over the country, representing excellent value and a wonderful day out.”

Pro Rugby Wales chief executive Mark Davies said: “Last year’s Judgement Day games were played at an international level of pace and intensity, with high tempo rugby that showcased the very best of Welsh rugby talent and the quality of the Guinness Pro12 competition.

“The action on the field and the near sell-out crowd in the world’s greatest rugby amphitheatre contributed to a breath-taking occasion and a must attend event.

“It was great to see families travelling from far and wide around the UK to witness a unique Welsh Rugby event and all four squads are looking forward to performing in front of a capacity crowd this season.”

Tickets can be purchased from tomorrow at 12 noon from www.wru.wales/tickets, by calling 0844 847 1881, in person from the WRU Ticket Office on Westgate Street or from each of the four regions.

It's a brilliant concept and I'm glad to see it's going to be kept alive. I may have to venture to one eventually. A day out in Cardiff? Yes please

Pete, I have not been to a bad one yet. I have been to every single one, and I have enjoyed them all, what more do you want for a tenner ? Why don't they do this over in your country ?

Not a clue LD. I think the IRFU find it hard to step out of their rigid strategies (nothing to do with Pienaar, honestly) and blindly carry on disregarding a fantastic chance to celebrate Irish rugby in the best possible way. I think it should be made obligatory. The Aviva would never do though, too small. A return to Croke Park would be on the cards.

Great to see this from the WRU - Scottish rugby fans would love it it the 1872 cup boxing day derby tickets were reduced to a tenner with an aim to fill the stadium.

The problem is that they sell season tickets on the basis that every game over a season is going to be £20/£25 if bought separately - they can't reduce ticket prices or it would upset the ST holders.

We still get 25-30k fans for the Murrayfield leg but you'd hope it would go into the 40k figure if you cut prices to a tenner and gave loads of free tickets to school kids.

Thankfully its never classed as a home game for the Ospreys, so playing a welsh derby at a neutral venue suits me

LordDowlais wrote:Put it in your calendar boys and girls, two games in Cardiff for a tenner again. It was a cracking day out last time, I will be going again this time around as well.


The Welsh Rugby Union are hoping to top last year's record attendance and sell-out the Principality Stadium.

Judgement Day V will take place on Saturday, April 15, at the Principality Stadium, with ticket prices frozen at £10 and the WRU hoping for a sell-out.

A record 68,262 crowd turned out for last season’s back-to-back Welsh derbies, with the double header having steadily grown in popularity in recent years.

The fixtures will be the same this term, with Cardiff Blues taking on the Ospreys at 2.45pm and the Dragons meeting the Scarlets at 5.15pm.

Last season’s event surpassed the previous record attendance at any match involving a region - the 65,756 who saw the Ospreys beat Leicester at Twickenham in the 2008 EDF Energy Cup Final.

And it also broke the Welsh domestic record of 58,000 fans who attended the Neath v Llanelli WRU Challenge Cup Final in 1989.

WRU chairman Gareth Davies believes this season’s fifth incarnation of the Welsh Pro12 derby double could go one better by delivering a full house.

“There is no reason why this celebration of our regional game will not become an annual sell-out at Principality Stadium and we expect this to be the first year,” said Davies.

“Fans have been buying tickets early for Judgement Day since the first one and we would encourage everyone to get their tickets quickly again this year to avoid disappointment.

“To see an atmosphere in our national ground akin to a Welsh international match for the regional game for Judgement Day IV was heart-warming and shows that, if we can get the product right week in week out, the future is bright for Guinness PRO12 rugby and for our national game in general.

“The Judgement Day concept was a sound one from its inception and last season supporters bought into it in their droves, showing the passion and loyalty of the fans in Wales.

“This season’s event will be even bigger and better than those that have gone before.

“There is no other occasion when fans can see the very best of Welsh rugby together under one roof, outside of an international match, and I hope JDV really captures the imagination of fans in Wales once again.”

Blues head coach Danny Wilson said: “Judgement Day has proved to be a brilliant showpiece event for the Guinness PRO12 and continues to grow.

“It’s a great occasion for everyone involved, has provided a stage for some top quality rugby and demonstrates the appetite for the regional game.

“We look forward to returning to the Principality Stadium and hope for an even bigger crowd in 2017.”

Dragons chief executive Stuart Davies added: “It’s been great to see how Judgement Day has grown year on year. It is now established as a calendar event for rugby fans from all over the country, representing excellent value and a wonderful day out.”

Pro Rugby Wales chief executive Mark Davies said: “Last year’s Judgement Day games were played at an international level of pace and intensity, with high tempo rugby that showcased the very best of Welsh rugby talent and the quality of the Guinness Pro12 competition.

“The action on the field and the near sell-out crowd in the world’s greatest rugby amphitheatre contributed to a breath-taking occasion and a must attend event.

“It was great to see families travelling from far and wide around the UK to witness a unique Welsh Rugby event and all four squads are looking forward to performing in front of a capacity crowd this season.”

Tickets can be purchased from tomorrow at 12 noon from www.wru.wales/tickets, by calling 0844 847 1881, in person from the WRU Ticket Office on Westgate Street or from each of the four regions.

Thanks for the full article Andy.

True Raven wrote:Thankfully its never classed as a home game for the Ospreys, so playing a welsh derby at a neutral venue suits me

This is exactly why I don't like it. I'd rather our home game was actually at home.

Do the 'home' teams get any advantage at all? Home changing room etc?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Do the 'home' teams get any advantage at all? Home changing room etc?

More of the cash

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

True Raven wrote:Thankfully its never classed as a home game for the Ospreys, so playing a welsh derby at a neutral venue suits me

This is exactly why I don't like it. I'd rather our home game was actually at home.

Look, I do not mean to be picky here, but what difference would an extra chance at 4pts for Dragons make ? If you were always pushing for honours in the league then you would get my sympathy. Playing the game 10/15 miles away and making twice the income is far more productive for Dragons than being 4pts further away from the Italians.

LordDowlais wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

True Raven wrote:Thankfully its never classed as a home game for the Ospreys, so playing a welsh derby at a neutral venue suits me

This is exactly why I don't like it. I'd rather our home game was actually at home.

Look, I do not mean to be picky here, but what difference would an extra chance at 4pts for Dragons make ? If you were always pushing for honours in the league then you would get my sympathy. Playing the game 10/15 miles away and making twice the income is far more productive for Dragons than being 4pts further away from the Italians.

So, a complete back track on your earlier view that the pro teams should be aiming to win every match and money/income is irrelevant then Andy. Thanks for clarifying.

LordDowlais wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

True Raven wrote:Thankfully its never classed as a home game for the Ospreys, so playing a welsh derby at a neutral venue suits me

This is exactly why I don't like it. I'd rather our home game was actually at home.

Look, I do not mean to be picky here, but what difference would an extra chance at 4pts for Dragons make ? If you were always pushing for honours in the league then you would get my sympathy. Playing the game 10/15 miles away and making twice the income is far more productive for Dragons than being 4pts further away from the Italians.

When is unfairness not unfair?

When Dowlais says so.

I don't normally mind you, Dowlais, but if you really think home advantage and winning games only matters to the 'bigger' teams, then I'm not sure you understand what the game of rugby is all about.

I won't tell you where you can put your

I won't tell you where you can put your OK

Set my day up with that LP..

Look, guys, I did no mean to cause offence, honestly.

Look, you cannot have it both ways, I constantly here people banging the drum about funding, and resources, and wages and competitiveness, playing a game at MS for Dragons is worth a small fortune. It's not the other end of the country either. Its only about 15 miles away from Rodney Parade, less from Newport.

Yes, I get the gripe of the season ticket holder who likes his same seat, spot, or place. Yes I get that RP generates a good atmosphere and that Dragons are more likely to get a result there, but would the 4pts, which are not a given, outweigh the money made on JD ?

I'll tell you what. if Dragons are pushing for 7th, or 6th this season and the possible 4pts that are more likely to be won at RP is the difference, then I will concede that you have a point, but from a survival point of view, the extra ££££'s generated from moving your game 15/16 miles away makes more of a difference than finishing an extra 4pts above 11th place.

Sorry if this opinion offends, but it is just that, an opinion.

Whilst you're hereing people bang the drum about finances, what difference does it make to Dragons? How do you know it's worth a small fortune? I've asked you before, why did Hazell refuse to move our QF against Cardiff? That could've brought in extra money too, but the RP factor was important then.

We won four games last season in the league and all were at RP. It's incredibly ignorant to suggest that it doesn't make a difference if we move 10 miles to the PS. You like to put the boot into the Dragons a lot for lack of wins, so why can't you see that a win can do good things for a team. It breeds confidence in the players and it encourages supporters to think that it's worth attending the next home game. The WRU have also decided that we should play Scarlets for the third season running, so where's the logic in that? When was the last time we beat them? At RP the last time we played there.

Of course a casual or away supporter is going to think it's brilliant. It's a day in the big city on the pop. But you should be more respectful as to why some people don't like it, particularly when you get told the same things every season. Should I as a home supporter have to encounter travel difficulties to get to a home game, just because a load more people who don't care about pro rugby otherwise have decided to lash it up in Cardiff for a day?

Dowellais being ignorant? Oh why am I not surprised .

Lord, personally I've also been to every one and thoroughly enjoyed them all, it was spoilt slightly by drunken Ospreys supporters last year with their foul language, but as True Raven said further back would I be as pleased if it was our home game? The answer would be NO, I can understand where the Dragons fans are coming from, and when you see interviews with BBBD (Big bad Bradley Davies) on our website, where he is asked IIRC 20 questions one of which is, which is his LEAST favourite ground to play at and he names Rodney Parade as his answer. You can then see why these boys want their games played there.

wayne, I understand the gripe Dragons fans have, I honestly do as I have stated above. But if it was such a loss leader, then why do the Dragons hierarchy agree to it ?

I am not being ignorant, and I respect the views of the Dragons fans who are jumping on me for this, I am just playing devils advocate. I am also a little fed up of people whining about JD on here.

LordDowlais wrote:wayne, I understand the gripe Dragons fans have, I honestly do as I have stated above. But if it was such a loss leader, then why do the Dragons hierarchy agree to it ?

I am not being ignorant, and I respect the views of the Dragons fans who are jumping on me for this, I am just playing devils advocate. I am also a little fed up of people whining about JD on here.

Lord, yes the day is a good one, let me just add, I haven't been to RP for decades and apart for a little wind up last season, I would have no intention of going there ever again, NOT only people like BBBD don't like it, there are many Ospreys fans who have sampled the atmosphere (if you can call it that) and hate it there, so you can see why they would want all the advantages they can garner. I totally understand and agree with their stand on this.

I'm going anyway wayne. Also, I am off to the Wern later to watch Merthyr take on Bedwas. It should be a good one, I will then watch Dragons in the club afterwards, I will judge how much of a fortress RP is later, I will follow your boys on the box in my man cave tonight.

I am currently watching the RC and have been all morning. I am going to be all rugby'd out by tonight.

LordDowlais wrote:I'm going anyway wayne. Also, I am off to the Wern later to watch Merthyr take on Bedwas. It should be a good one, I will then watch Dragons in the club afterwards, I will judge how much of a fortress RP is later, I will follow your boys on the box in my man cave tonight.

I am currently watching the RC and have been all morning. I am going to be all rugby'd out by tonight.

Yes so will I, and good on you for supporting ALL levels of Rugby, I neither have the inclination or the money to follow more than my club team and the best team in Wales

LordDowlais wrote:I am off to the Wern later to watch Merthyr take on Bedwas.

How would you feel if it was being played at Eugene Cross Park?

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:How would you feel if it was being played at Eugene Cross Park?

That's the thing though, we do not need to move our games around to generate the required ££££'s to keep us afloat. If Merthyr were struggling at the bottom end of the league and we were skint, I would gladly travel the 10ish miles to watch them. I travel further when I watch the regions.

But I suppose I am lucky, I am in a position(thankfully) where money is not as much of an issue to me than it is to others. Me and my family can always make a day of it. Rugby in my family is my thing, along with my brother and my father we all watch as much as we can, and we let the women of the family go shopping and go for coffee and the what not whilst we are at the game. if it is an afternoon thing. It brings our family together.

Next weekend will be a humdinger, if Ponty's ground is ready of course.

wayne wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:wayne, I understand the gripe Dragons fans have, I honestly do as I have stated above. But if it was such a loss leader, then why do the Dragons hierarchy agree to it ?

I am not being ignorant, and I respect the views of the Dragons fans who are jumping on me for this, I am just playing devils advocate. I am also a little fed up of people whining about JD on here.

Lord, yes the day is a good one, let me just add, I haven't been to RP for decades and apart for a little wind up last season, I would have no intention of going there ever again, NOT only people like BBBD don't like it, there are many Ospreys fans who have sampled the atmosphere (if you can call it that) and hate it there, so you can see why they would want all the advantages they can garner. I totally understand and agree with their stand on this.

Imbecile

LordDowlais wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:How would you feel if it was being played at Eugene Cross Park?

That's the thing though, we do not need to move our games around to generate the required ££££'s to keep us afloat. If Merthyr were struggling at the bottom end of the league and we were skint, I would gladly travel the 10ish miles to watch them. I travel further when I watch the regions.

But I suppose I am lucky, I am in a position(thankfully) where money is not as much of an issue to me than it is to others. Me and my family can always make a day of it. Rugby in my family is my thing, along with my brother and my father we all watch as much as we can, and we let the women of the family go shopping and go for coffee and the what not whilst we are at the game. if it is an afternoon thing. It brings our family together.

Next weekend will be a humdinger, if Ponty's ground is ready of course.

Why do you insist on saying we need the money to keep afloat? Surely that's what the tv money does? Again, if we need the money to keep afloat, why did we not move the European QF v Cardiff? That could've given extra money, particularly if we need it to keep afloat as you suggest.

LordDowlais wrote:I'm going anyway wayne. Also, I am off to the Wern later to watch Merthyr take on Bedwas. It should be a good one, I will then watch Dragons in the club afterwards, I will judge how much of a fortress RP is later, I will follow your boys on the box in my man cave tonight.

I am currently watching the RC and have been all morning. I am going to be all rugby'd out by tonight.

You can't judge anything if we lose to Munster tonight. That's a daft thing to say. Am I to assume Merthyr should move a game away from The Wern now the wheels came off today?

I've been to the last 3 and will go next season year as well work permitting but as I live the wrong side of the bridge I use it as a good chance to meet up with family and friends and have a good day/evening out.

Atmosphere wise and if the choice was mine I would rather play our game at RP any day of the week and forsake the extra money, whilst the WRU may well say its a sell out or near sell out etc the stadium is never full for both games as fans come and go for their own game.