Rodney Parade facts for kids
Rodney Parade West Stand
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 Rodney Parade
Location in Newport
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| Location | Rodney Road Newport NP19 0UU |
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| Coordinates | 51°35′18″N 2°59′16″W / 51.58833°N 2.98778°W |
| Public transit |  Newport railway station Newport bus station |
| Owner | Dragons Stadium |
| Operator | Dragons RFC |
| Capacity | 8,700 (7,850 for football) |
| Record attendance | 31,000 (Newport RFC vs South Africa, January 10 1952) Limited |
| Surface | PlayMaster (Hybrid grass) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1877 |
| Architect | Thomas Douglas-Jones |
| Tenants | |
| Dragons RFC (2003-present) Newport County A.F.C. (2012-present) |
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Rodney Parade is a famous stadium in Newport, South Wales. It sits right next to the River Usk in the heart of the city. You can easily walk there from the main bus and train stations.
This stadium is home to two major sports teams. The Dragons RFC, a professional rugby union team, play their matches here. It's also where Newport County, a professional football club, plays its home games. Rodney Parade is one of the oldest sports venues used by teams in the English Football League.
In 2017, the Welsh Rugby Union bought Rodney Parade. Then, in 2023, a group of private investors bought the stadium and the Dragons rugby team from the WRU.
You can also find four squash courts at Rodney Parade, used by the Newport Squash Rackets Club.
Contents
Exploring Rodney Parade: The Stadium Layout
Rodney Parade has two main covered stands along the sides of the pitch. The Candleston Stand (on the west side) has two levels. The top level has 1,996 seats, including special spots for the press. The bottom level is a standing area for fans.
The Bisley Stand (on the east side) has 2,526 seats. This stand also includes 13 special boxes for guests, places to buy food and drinks, and a platform for TV cameras. When you watch games on TV, the cameras often point west, so you might see the sun setting over Newport city centre!
At the north end of the stadium, there's an uncovered standing area called the North Terrace. The south end has the players' changing rooms, a media center, a big video screen, and a small stand with 222 seats for visiting football fans.
The main gate (Gate 4) on Grafton Road leads to the rugby ticket office and club shop. The Newport County football club has its own ticket office nearby. North of the stadium, there's a fun "fanzone" tent for entertainment before and after games, plus a training area.
A Look Back: Rodney Parade's History
How Rodney Parade Started in 1877
The Newport Athletic Club was formed in 1875. Two years later, in 1877, they got permission to use the land at Rodney Parade. This land was used for their cricket, tennis, rugby union, and athletics teams.
In October 1879, Newport RFC played a rugby game against Cardiff RFC at Rodney Parade. This was a special event because it was the first sports ground in Wales to have floodlights! Newport RFC had many successful years, including being unbeaten in the 1891-92 and 1922-23 seasons.
Rodney Parade also hosted international rugby matches for Wales against teams like England, France, and Scotland. Famous touring teams, such as the New Zealand All Blacks in 1924 and the South Africa Springboks in 1960, played exciting games against Newport RFC here.
Changes in the 1990s: School Development
In 1993, the cricket ground, which was on the south side of the stadium, was taken down. A new primary school, Maindee Primary, was built in its place. The Newport Cricket Club then moved to the Newport International Sports Village.
Modernizing for Rugby and Football
In 2003, a new regional rugby team called the Newport Gwent Dragons was created. They began sharing Rodney Parade with Newport RFC.
Plans to make the stadium bigger and better were announced in 2007. The goal was to create a 15,000-capacity stadium. The new east stand, called the Bisley Stand, opened in October 2011.
In May 2012, Newport County football club moved to Rodney Parade. This meant the stadium started hosting regular football matches for the first time. In 2013, Newport County signed a 10-year agreement to keep playing there.
Over the years, the playing field has been improved. New drainage and irrigation systems were put in during 2013 and 2014. However, there were still some issues with the pitch in late 2016. After more work, a new hybrid grass pitch was installed in 2017.
New Ownership and Pitch Improvements
In March 2017, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) bought Rodney Parade. This led to more improvements, including a new hybrid grass pitch for the 2017-18 season.
In 2018, Rodney Parade saw its highest attendance for a Newport County football match. 9,836 fans watched them play against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.
The beautiful memorial gates at the stadium entrance were given special "Grade II listed building" status in August 2020. These gates were put up in 1923-24 to remember members of the Newport Athletic Club who died in the First World War.
In 2021, the pitch had more problems, partly due to maintenance being canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the Dragons and Newport County had to play some home matches at other stadiums. However, a full pitch and drainage upgrade, including a new hybrid grass surface, was finished in August 2021.
After these improvements, the Rodney Parade ground staff won the "Best Pitch in EFL League Two" award for both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 football seasons! In October 2021, Newport RFC moved most of their home games to Newport Stadium, but they still play two matches a season at Rodney Parade.
Private Ownership Since 2023
In June 2023, a group of private investors, led by David Buttress (who is also the chairman of the Dragons rugby team), bought Rodney Parade and the Dragons team from the Welsh Rugby Union.
Newport County football club continues to play at Rodney Parade. They agreed to a new 10-year lease in July 2024.
International Rugby and Football Matches
Rodney Parade has been the stage for six full international rugby union matches where the Wales national rugby union team played:
| Date | Event | Opponent | Final score |
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| 12 January 1884 | 1884 Home Nations Championship |  Scotland |
0G, 0T – 1G, 1T |
| 4 February 1888 | 1888 Home Nations Championship | 0G, 1T – 0G, 0T | |
| 3 January 1891 | 1891 Home Nations Championship |  England |
3–7 |
| 3 February 1894 | 1894 Home Nations Championship | Scotland |
7–0 |
| 9 January 1897 | 1897 Home Nations Championship | England |
11–0 |
| 25 March 1912 | Friendly match |  France |
14–8 |
It has also hosted one international match for the Wales women's national football team:
| Date | Event | Opponent | Final score |
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| 31 August 2018 | Women's World Cup Qualifier | England |
0–3 |
See also
- List of rugby league stadiums by capacity
- List of rugby union stadiums by capacity
