Cardiff Blues - Definition


Cardiff Blues - Definition

Cardiff Blues

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Welsh Rugby Regions 2003

Cardiff Blues are a regional Rugby Union team from Wales, playing in the Celtic League and European Rugby Cup/European Rugby Shield.

Club History

The Blues are one of the five original regions of the Welsh Regional Rugby Era. They are also one of only two regions who were not brought about by amalgamation of two or more clubs (the other being the Llanelli Scarlets).

The club came into being in the summer of 2003 when the WRU elected to reduce the current top tier of Welsh professional rugby from nine clubs into five regions, effectively mirroring the successful formats in Ireland and the Southern Hemisphere countries of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

The Blues initially represented the capital city of Wales, Cardiff and its surrounding areas. Ownership of the 'region' is held by Peter Thomas, owner of Cardiff Rugby Football Club.

In the summer of 2004, due to the liquidation of the Celtic Warriors region, the Cardiff Blues region have had their borders extended to also cover much of the valley heartlands, covering Caerphilly, Pontypridd, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil. This will potentially lead to the playing of several "home" games at Pontypridd's Sardis Road.

Due to the fact that the Cardiff Blues team was largely drawn from the underperforming Cardiff RFC team of 2002/2003, they have initially struggled, facing an early exit from the 2003/04 Heineken European Rugby Cup and finishing bottom of the five Welsh regions in the Celtic League. However the liquidation of the Celtic Warriors has seen the Blues improve their squad for the 2004/2005 season, one which will also see them retain their place in the Heineken European Rugby Cup, again thanks to the demise of the Warriors.

Home Ground

The Blues currently play their home games at Cardiff's Cardiff Arms Park ground (the home of Cardiff RFC, attached to Millennium Stadium). Talks are also in progress over playing a number of games in their newly expanded territories, including Pontypridd RFC's Sardis Road.