No more pitch Blues for Cardiff

Cardiff Blues announced on Thursday that they will install an artificial pitch at their historic Arms Park home for next season, after gaining approval from the Welsh Rugby Union governing body.

The regional club have played matches for the last three years at Cardiff City Stadium but a number of fixtures were affected by bad weather, notably last season's derby with Newport Gwent Dragons in December, where the pitch was a quagmire.

"The new surface will allow games to go ahead no matter the weather and hopefully enable us to play a more expansive and attractive game for supporters to enjoy," Blues chief executive Richard Holland said.

The artificial surface will also mean the Pro12 league club will be able to host more events, including Sevens tournaments, women's and age-grade rugby, he added.

Director of Rugby Phil Davies said the poor surface hampered his side's ability to play an "expansive" game and welcomed the move.

AFP