Cardiff strikes it rich with fifth Heineken Cup Final

In 2008 Cardiff will host the Heineken Cup Final for the fifth time and to launch this season’s competition a star-studded gathering was held at City Hall. ANDY SLOAN was there to hear the Welsh Premier extol the virtues of Wales as a sporting destination and make an extraordinary plea for a return to rugby tactics of old.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan lined up alongside the captains of each of the 24 competing teams and former Welsh rugby stars Ieuan Evans and Scott Quinnell at the launch and Miss Wales, Kelly Pesticcio, added an extra splash of glamour to the occasion.

Mr Morgan did not need to add any gloss to his views on Cardiff as a sporting venue. “I think you have to say, based on all the evidence so far, [Cardiff] is as good as the home of the Heineken Cup,” he said. “It is coming back to its natural home in 2008.”

He reflected on the spectacle of the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the Calzaghe v Kessler fight and acclaimed Wales as a centre of sporting excellence. He pointed to the 2009 Ashes test to be held at Sophia Gardens and the 2010 Ryder Cup to be held in Newport.

“How do you match that in the next decade?” he said. “We have to think about that. We have some amazing facilities.”

But having rounded off his speech, Mr Morgan couldn’t resist an attempt to set out his stall on the way rugby is played today.

“We’ve been through the Rugby World Cup and it was heart-stopping at times for everybody. There was some great entertainment but I hope that one way or another we could have some matches that see a lot less than 15 up and unders in the game.

“I would like to see a little more ball-in-hand rugby. But it’s not a matter for me. People want to win and whatever tactics you can use to win people will use. I can do a lot of things, but unfortunately I can’t control that.”

He can’t, it is true. But with the money generated from hosting events such as the Heineken Cup Final he may see an improvement in the “Welsh way” on the World stage.



See the Heineken Cup captains pose with the trophy in the video above and click here for more information on your favourite team

Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis, who also spoke at the launch, said: “The last time the Heineken Cup was held in Cardiff the Welsh economy benefited to the tune of more than £25 million.”

It is no surprise therefore that Mr Lewis was eager to talk about the business of rugby. Over the course of the year he anticipated the total benefit to Wales would be closer to £90 million.

“It is about taking rugby to the world and taking the world to Wales,” he said. A career in politics beckons if he continues with such sound bites but if the world does keep coming to Wales then the coffers of the WRU, who own and operate the Millennium Stadium, will be far healthier; and that can only benefit Welsh rugby.

Heineken Cup Ambassadors Miss Wales and former Wales and Scarlets number eight, Scott Quinnell, carried in the trophy at the start of the ceremony. Quinnell quipped he had waited a long time to get his hands on it and Ieuan Evans, compèring the event, jested, “You are talking about the cup aren’t you Scott?”



Listen to Miss Wales talk rugby above then click here to see how she won her crown and what she's been up to this year

Quinnell recalled the magnificence of the Millennium Stadium and admitted he wept when he played his testimonial there in 2005. “Two years ago was one of the highlights of my career,” he said. “The whole city rose to the occasion. I have never seen 50,000 people cry at once. I was one of them.”

Cardiff-born Miss Wales won her title after battling a rare spinal disease, scoliosis, which forced her to spend many of her teenage years in a brace. The 23-year-old medical student backed the Blues to overcome their own hurdles in the form of Bristol, Harlequins and Stade Francais and line up a dream date in Cardiff on May 24 next year.

Cardiff Blues boss David Young was a little more circumspect but was more confident of his team’s chances than in previous years.

He said: “The Heineken Cup is always a tournament we look forward to playing in and a yardstick by which we get measured. It’s not a bad draw for us, there are no easy groups, but it probably isn’t as difficult as we had last year. The proof will be in the pudding.”

Cardiff lost the inaugural 1996 final 21-18 after extra time to Toulouse at Cardiff Arms Park. No Welsh team has made the final since. There are a number of Welshmen hoping that is about to change.