Cardiff Arms Park facts for kids
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Rugby ground
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Cardiff Arms Park in the foreground and the Millennium Stadium in the background
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 Cardiff Arms Park
Location in Central Cardiff
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| Location | Cardiff, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cardiff Arms Park (Welsh: Parc yr Arfau Caerdydd), also known as The Arms Park, is a famous sports ground in the middle of Cardiff, Wales. It is mostly known for rugby union games. The park also has a bowling green for playing bowls.
Cardiff Arms Park has hosted many important sports events. It was a venue for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and four games in the 1991 Rugby World Cup. This included the match for third place. The park also hosted the first two finals of the Heineken Cup in 1996 and 1997.
The history of the rugby ground goes back to 1881. This is when the first stands were built for people to watch the games. Originally, the Arms Park had a cricket ground to the north and a rugby stadium to the south. By 1969, the cricket ground was removed. This made space for the current rugby ground and a new, larger rugby stadium called the National Stadium.
The National Stadium was used by the Wales national rugby union team. It opened in 1984. However, it was taken down in 1997 to build the Millennium Stadium (now called Principality Stadium). The Millennium Stadium opened in 1999 and became the new national stadium of Wales.
The current rugby ground is still the home of Cardiff RFC, a semi-professional rugby team. The professional team, Cardiff Blues, moved to the Cardiff City Stadium in 2009 but came back to Arms Park three years later.
The land for Cardiff Arms Park belongs to the Cardiff Athletic Club. Many different sports have been played here over the years. These include athletics, football, greyhound racing, tennis, British baseball, and boxing. The National Stadium also held many music concerts with famous artists like Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones.
Contents
History of Cardiff Arms Park
How the Park Started
The area now known as Cardiff Arms Park was once a wet, grassy field. It was located behind a building called the Cardiff Arms Hotel. The hotel was built a long time ago, during the time of King Charles I. The park got its name from this hotel.
Around 1803, the hotel and the park became the property of the Bute family. The Arms Park quickly became a popular spot for sports. By 1848, the Cardiff Cricket Club was already playing its matches there. Sadly, the Cardiff Arms Hotel was taken down by 1878.
The owner, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, said that the land could only be used for "fun and games." At that time, Cardiff Arms Park had two main parts: a cricket ground in the north and a rugby union ground in the south.
Building the Stands
In 1881–1882, the first stands were built for people to watch the games. These stands could hold 300 spectators and cost £50. A famous architect named Archibald Leitch designed them. He also designed other well-known stadiums like Ibrox Stadium. In 1890, new standing areas were added along the whole length of the ground. More stands were put up in 1896.
The National Stadium
The National Stadium was a very important part of Cardiff Arms Park. It opened in 1881 and was renovated several times to make it bigger and better. By 1984, it could hold 65,000 people. This stadium was the home ground for the Wales national rugby union team and also the Wales national football team for some years.
It hosted major events like the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and two Heineken Cup finals. However, the National Stadium was closed in 1997 and then taken down. This made way for the new Millennium Stadium, which is now the national stadium of Wales.
Music and Singing at Arms Park
Concerts at the National Stadium
The National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park was not just for sports. It also hosted many big music concerts from 1987 to 1996. Famous artists like Tina Turner, U2, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, and Bon Jovi performed there. The last music concert was on July 14, 1996. The Jehovah's Witnesses also held their yearly meetings at the stadium.
The Singing Tradition
The National Stadium was well-known for its amazing singing crowds. People would sing Welsh hymns like "Cwm Rhondda" and "Calon Lân", and the Welsh national anthem, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" ("Land of my Fathers"). This loud and passionate singing was said to help the home team score more points. This tradition of singing loudly has now moved to the Millennium Stadium.
Cardiff Arms Park even has its own choir, called the Cardiff Arms Park Male Choir. It started in 1966 and used to be called the Cardiff Athletic Club Male Voice Choir. Today, the choir performs all over the world and goes on tours. In 2000, they changed their name to the Cardiff Arms Park Male Choir.
Images for kids
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The 1934 new North Stand, rugby ground, Cardiff Arms Park
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Cardiff Athletic Club
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The Millennium Stadium (south ground - right) and Cardiff Arms Park (north ground - left)
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Cardiff Arms Park including Cardiff Athletic Bowls Club
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The Greyhound track at the Arms Park
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Cardiff Blues versus Edinburgh, 17 May 2009
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Aerial view of the old cricket ground
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The West Stand of the National Stadium
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See also
In Spanish: Cardiff Arms Park para niños
