WALES will be taking on Ireland on Saturday 22 February at Principality Stadium.

With the kick-off taking place at 2.15pm – there will be a full city centre road closure from 10.15am until 5.45pm to ensure all ticket holders can get into and out of the stadium safely.

The M4 motorway is expected to be very busy due to this rugby match – so please plan ahead – and avoid the congestion in Cardiff by using the park & ride at the former Toy’s R Us site car park in the Sports Village – CF11 0JS.

For up to date traffic information on the motorway and trunk roads go to the Traffic Wales website, or @TrafficWalesS on Twitter and Facebook.

Gates open at 12.15pm, those attending the rugby match are strongly advised to plan their journey and get in early.  Please pay attention to the prohibited items listed at principalitystadium.wales, in particular the bag policy (no large bags permitted) before travelling into the city.

Road closures

From 7am, Scott Road and Park Street will be closed because of the need to prepare Gate 5 and protect queuing fans.

The following roads will be closed as part of the full city centre road closure which will take place at 10.15am until 5.45pm.

• Kingsway from its junction with North Road to its junction with Duke Street.
• Cowbridge Road East from its junction with Cathedral Road to its junction with Westgate Street.
• Tudor Street from its junction with Clare Road to its junction with Wood Street (access for residents and traders will be permitted via Fitzhammon Embankment).
• Plantagenet Street and Beauchamp Street from their junctions with Despenser Place to their junctions with Tudor Street (access for residents and traders will be permitted).
• The following roads will be closed in their entirety: Duke Street, Castle St, High Street, St Mary Street, Caroline Street, Wood Street, Central Square, Westgate Street, Quay Street, Guildhall Place, Golate, Park Street, Havelock Street and Scott Road.
• Station Terrace and Guildford Street from the junction with Newport Road to the junction with Churchill Way will be access for buses only during the times of the road closures. This is to ensure that there is reliable access for buses to the satellite points in Churchill Way.
• Additionally, Penarth Road will be closed 30 minutes before the game finishes and up to hour after the final whistle on safety grounds for train passengers arriving and departing from the train station.

Additions: 
Civic Centre: Access to part of the Civic Centre will be controlled throughout the day, with access allowed only for event parking, limited commuter parking, loading and access to private car parks.

Roads affected include King Edward VII Avenue, Museum Avenue, City Hall Road, College Road and Gorsedd Gardens Road.

Trains

Transport for Wales (TFW) will be providing additional capacity where possible on routes in/out of Cardiff on Saturday 22 February but trains are expected to be very busy, so please allow plenty of time for your journey.

Post-event queues for mainline rail services will be on Central Square and queues for Valleys services will be to the rear of the station. Cardiff Queen Street will close at 3.30pm except for accessible access and passengers that wish to travel to Cardiff Bay.

Pre and post-event revenue checks will be taking place at Cardiff Central so please ensure you have purchased your rail ticket before entering a queuing system. 

Great Western Railway (GWR) will run additional services to help customers get home from the Wales-Ireland fixture. Extra trains will operate from Cardiff Central to Swansea, Newport, Bristol and London; with plenty of parking available at station car parks.

Trains are, however, expected to be very busy immediately after the match and a queueing system will be in place outside the station to help people board trains safely.

Those travelling from further afield should check connecting services at www.gwr.com/check.

Park & Ride facilities

The event park & ride facilities will be at Toy’s R Us in the Sports Village, Cardiff Bay – CF11 0JS.

The drop of point in the city centre is Callaghan Square.

The park & ride site will open at 8.45am, with the first bus leaving at 9am. The last bus from the city centre will be at 6pm with the site closing at 6.30pm.

The cost is £15. Cash only.

Civic Centre Event Day Parking (Cars and Coaches)

Getting there: Exit Junction 32 of the M4, head south on the A470 towards the city centre and follow signage to the civic centre.

Cost: £20 payable on the day for cars and £30 for coaches – card payments are also now available.

Parking time: The car park will open at 8am and closes at 12 Midnight. 

Event Day Parking at Sophia Gardens

Sophia Gardens (cars)

(Approximately, 0.5 mile walk to the Principality Stadium, Gate 2).

Sophia Gardens Event Day Parking

Getting there: Exit junction 32 off the M4

Cost: £20 for cars and £30 for coaches – card payments are now available.

Parking time: Car park opens at 8.00am and closes at 12 midnight.

Please note: Sophia Gardens car park will be staffed until 7.00pm all vehicles are left on site at the owner’s risk. Cardiff Council will not be held responsible for any theft or damage to motor vehicles or personal possessions. Any vehicles left in the car park after closing time will be fined.

Bus

Local buses:

Bus services will be diverted while the city centre road closures are in place

Please visit the relevant bus operator’s website for more information about your specific bus routes.

For Stagecoach services, please visit: Welcome to Stagecoach (stagecoachbus.com)

For Cardiff Bus services, please visit: https://www.cardiffbus.com/principality-stadium

For NAT services, please visit: https://www.natgroup.co.uk/

National Express:
 
National Express coaches will use Sophia Gardens as usual. 

Can you cycle or walk?

The cycleways and the pop-up cycleways within the road closure area will remain open for cyclists to use during the event, but due to the number of people expected to attend the rugby match, we ask all cyclists to take due care and attention.

The road closures apply to all motor vehicles of any kind, but not to bicycles with pedals.

Those who live locally in Cardiff may want to travel by bicycle or walk. Research shows us that 52% of car trips made in the Welsh capital are less than 5km. This is a distance that can be comfortably cycled in 20 minutes.

We also know that 28% of Cardiff residents who currently do not cycle would like to do so.

When the roads are congested this makes cycling an even more attractive option as travel by bicycle would be quicker than a car during rush hours or during big events.

Shopping Parking

City centre car parks are also available: North Road Car Parks, St David’s Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Capitol Shopping Centre, and NCP (Adam Street, Dumfries Place and Greyfriars Road.)

Disabled parking

Disabled drivers are advised to use Sophia Gardens. Disabled parking is also available at various private car parks.

Please check individual websites for availability.

Taxis

St Mary Street taxi rank will close at 10.15am and will re-open at 5.45pm.

CRICKET-MAD local MS Sam Kurtz raised the efforts of two local cricket clubs to give something back to their communities and improve their facilities in the Senedd on Tuesday, February 11.

Mr Kurtz, who plays for Fishguard CC, is well-known – possibly notorious – in local sporting circles for being a keen participant in whichever sport he turns his hand to.

On Tuesday, he asked for a Welsh Government statement from the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership on the support available to grassroots cricket clubs in Wales.

While doing so, he raised the example of Pembroke Dock Cricket Club, which is currently fundraising for new changing rooms for men, women and juniors at its ground at Imble Lane.

Sam Kurtz said: “I’ve enjoyed many a tough game against the Dock, who’ve done amazing charity work over the years, raising some £45,000 for local charities. Now it’s time that support is given to them so that they can continue to grow. They are working with the local authority and the Enhancing Pembrokeshire grant, but further support is needed.”

Sam Kurtz continued: “Neighbouring Pembroke Cricket Club has also worked tirelessly since the pandemic, improving their facilities at Treleet, including new nets, covers for the wicket and refreshing the pavilion. They’ve even been able to introduce a third senior side into the Pembrokeshire league, which shows the growth of the game in the county of Pembrokeshire.”

Mr Kurtz concluded by asking for a statement from the Minister about how he is working with Sport Wales, the England and Wales Cricket Board and Glamorgan Cricket to offer support for grassroots cricket clubs so that one of the world’s leading sports can continue to grow across our country.

The Welsh Government’s business manager, Jane Hutt MS, is notorious for not wanting Welsh Government Ministers to give statements on anything that isn’t on their news grid. Every week, MSs ask for statements on issues important to their constituents or of national importance, and Jane Hutt finds new ways to say “no.”

Mr Kurtz was probably optimistic about asking for a minister to make a statement about funding grassroots sport, a subject in which hundreds of thousands across Wales are interested but in which the Welsh Government has minimal interest.

Sure enough, Jane Hutt responded: “Now, this is something where Sport Wales is very engaged on with the grant funding scheme, and also, I have to say, I’ve been able to fund through the community facilities programme some of the improvements that are needed and refurbishments that are often needed in these often voluntary-owned community clubs. So, I hope that you will also look to the Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services, which has a funding portal because there are many trusts and sources of community funding. But certainly, it’s important that you’ve brought this to the attention of the Chamber, and we can celebrate that vibrancy of cricket and enjoy the season as it starts, especially Glamorgan, which I’d say is a bit biased.”

In short: “No, I won’t ask the Minister to make a statement. I’ll patronise you and the cricket clubs by telling you how to suck eggs. And, by the way, Glammy-Glammy-Glammy-Glammy Glamorgan.”

Highlighting the importance of grassroots sport and the need to support it raised its profile and focused attention on two of Pembrokeshire’s sports clubs who are doing the most to feed back into their community and provide more opportunities for participation. While Mr Kurtz didn’t get his statement, he managed to get Senedd time to shine a light on those clubs and their efforts.

THE PEMBROKESHIRE Third Division delivered another thrilling weekend of football, with key results shaping the league standings.

Clarbeston Road II capitalises on Neyland errors

Clarbeston Road II secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Neyland Reserves, with Robert Reed-Griffiths and Henry Lucas both getting on the scoresheet. Neyland’s woes were compounded by two own goals, further adding to their struggles. Mason Morgans-Hurley netted Neyland’s only goal, but it was not enough to prevent yet another defeat.

Pendine and Kilgetty II battle to a draw

Pendine and Kilgetty II played out a 2-2 draw in a hard-fought contest. Carl Gwyther and Andrew Evans (penalty) found the net for Kilgetty, while Julian Blewitt and Kyran Lewis (penalty) ensured Pendine earned a share of the points. The result keeps Pendine in the promotion race, while Kilgetty II continues their push to climb the table.

St Clears see off Haverfordwest Cricket Club

A hat-trick from Nick Squire powered St Clears to a 4-2 away victory over Haverfordwest Cricket Club. Scott Page also found the net for the visitors. Despite Liam Sheehan scoring twice for the hosts, they were unable to contain St Clears, who now edge closer to the top four.

Letterston cruise past St Florence United

Letterston produced a dominant display, claiming a 4-0 win over St Florence United. Simon Jones bagged a brace, while Gareth Mathias and Gary Delaney added to the tally. The victory cements Letterston’s place in the top half of the table.

New Hedges Saundersfoot United march on

New Hedges Saundersfoot United continued their strong form with a 4-1 triumph over Pembroke Borough. Adam Davidson and Harvey Drummond both struck twice to secure a convincing win. Sonny Price managed to pull one back for Pembroke Borough, but they were no match for the high-flying contenders.

League standings update

Goodwick United Reserves remain at the summit with 51 points, while New Hedges Saundersfoot United continue their charge in second place with 38 points, holding games in hand. Pendine and Pembroke Borough remain tightly matched on 35 points, while St Clears’ latest victory sees them move to 30 points in the top five. At the bottom, Neyland Reserves remain rooted with just six points, unable to turn their season around.

As the season enters its final stretch, every point is crucial in the race for promotion and survival in Pembrokeshire Division 3.