The Millennium Stadium will be pulling out all the stops to create its greatest spectacular yet when Wales take on England at home in the opening game of the RBS 6 Nations Championship this weekend.
The sell-out match will kick off at 8.05pm tomorrow (Friday 6 February) at Wales’ national stadium which raised the bar for matchday atmosphere when Warren Gatland’s men recorded an almighty 30-3 victory the last time the two teams met on Welsh soil.
For 2015, the year of the Rugby World Cup which brings eight games including two of Wales’ pool matches to Cardiff, rugby fans inside the stadium will be treated to a stadium light show as well as a special celebration of 100 years of the Welsh Guards Regiment.
Acclaimed lighting designer Tim Routledge and industry experts Production Resource Group have been brought in by the WRU to create a vibrant and explosive start to the Championship. The experts are set to bring in over 250 illuminations, in addition to all the Millennium’s famous fireworks and flames.
The Union has also called on former Radio One’s DJ Spoony to create a bespoke musical arrangement for the light show which will be revealed when the lights go down before the anthems and in the final moments before the rival rugby nations kick off at 8.05pm.
The anthems will be played by the Band of the Welsh Guards to commemorate their Anniversary milestone. The Regiment has also been granted the honour of performing the unfurling the national colours on the field, while 70 guardsmen dressed in their ceremonial red tunics and bearskins will line the perimeter of the field for the arrival of the teams.
“Wales has some of the greatest rugby supporters in the world which makes for a matchday atmosphere like no other when Wales play at home,” said Stadium Manager Mark Williams. “Our job at the Millennium Stadium is to harness that passion and create a truly spectacular matchday celebration that will appeal to all our visitors as well as wowing those millions of fans watching the event on televisions around the world.”
“As the anticipation builds for what promises to be another dramatic Wales v England match, the WRU has teamed up with some of the best event professionals in the business to start the first Six Nations match, and a bumper year of international rugby, with a bang on Friday night!”
Fans are advised to plan their travel in advance to ensure they get to the ground early to enjoy the pre-match build up inside the stadium.
When the public gates open at 6.35pm, the WRU’s in-house television channel, WRUTV, will be playing all the latest exclusives from inside the Welsh camp on the big screens and some 450 flat-screen sets around the stadium.
The TVs will also show the team arrivals, the coin toss and any pre-match interviews before the Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir gee up the crowd from pitchside and both teams take the pitch to warm up.
And with 10 minutes to go before the big kick off, it’s over to Routledge, whose lighting designs during Wales’ Grand Slam won him a BAFTA, and PRG for their spectacular illuminations ahead of the match.
He said: “We are looking to build the spectators’ experience leading up to kick-off with a time-coded light show to a specially edited track for the evening. Programmed by my colleague Tom Young, it will be fully synchronised and will add a new dimension to the evening’s entertainment.”
On behalf of PRG, Rich Gorrod commented: “It’s a huge honour to be involved in this launch of the Six Nations Championship and it deserves nothing less than the considerable arsenal of the very latest, state-of-the-art lighting equipment and special effects that we are confident will give the spectators something to remember.”
Speaking of the special celebrations of the Welsh Guards Regiment, Colonel Tom Bonas, the Regimental Adjutant of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, said: “This event marks the official start of our centenary celebrations and we are very proud to be able to mark the launch here at the Millennium Stadium, which is itself a symbol of Wales and its people.
“Rugby is our national sport and so many of our guardsmen are passionate in their support of their country through the team. This is a big year for the Regiment, with lots of formal celebrations across the year and to be able to begin here in front of a packed stadium is truly an honour for us.”
Ticket holders will also be greeted by bespoke Fan Zones on each level of the Stadium with WRU partners GUINNESS and Fosters hosting their own Zones, each with their own unique appeal. The Guinness Fan Zone (on level 3) is open before and after the match, featuring a Welsh Male Voice choir, a Q&A session with a Welsh legend and current Welsh player, the chance to have your picture taken with the RBS 6 Nations trophy and a live set from the Guinness Travelling Band. A selection of food and beverages, including Millennium Stadium’s full range of bottled and draft beer, hot drinks, pies, hotdogs and snacks, will also be available to purchase.
The Fosters Fanzone (on level 6) provides a great area to meet and chat about the game, whilst listening to local artist and Millennium Stadium regular Tim Cronin. The Fosters fanzone will be serving Fosters, Brains, Guinness, pies, hotdogs.All outlets will remain open from 6:35pm until midway through the second half of the match.
And after Friday’s opening spectacular, there is still plenty more Welsh rugby action on offer; the Under 20s will be taking on England Under 20 from Eirias Stadium on Saturday 7 February. Tickets are available for the match in Colwyn Bay and S4C will be providing exclusive live television coverage. On Sunday, Wales Women will play England Women at St Helens. Again, tickets are available from the venue and the match will be streamed live on the BBC website: BBC.CO.UK/SCRUMV
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