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Wales kick off their Nations Championship campaign against Fiji in the Welsh capital on Saturday
Wales get their Nations Championship campaign under way with a clash against Fiji.
While the other European nations are spread all across the globe this weekend, Wales are having to do considerably less travelling ahead of their opening match – with the match taking place in Cardiff.
Despite it being down as a home game for Fiji, the fixture will be played in the Welsh capital – but not at the home of Welsh rugby.
Instead, Steve Tandy’s side will arguably be just as unfamiliar as their opponents in their surroundings, with Cardiff City Stadium this weekend’s venue.
The home of Cardiff City and Wales’ national football team has been used sparingly for rugby over the years.
When it was first built, Cardiff played there between 2009 and 2012, before deciding to return to the Arms Park.
Judgement Day was also held there in 2024, while the 2011 Challenge Cup final was also staged in the ground.
In terms of size, it’s considerably smaller than the Principality Stadium’s 74,000 seats.
It holds around 33,280 fans – although it’s unlikely to reach that number this weekend.
Wales should, in theory, be playing this match in Fiji.
However, the Flying Fijians have opted to play their summer home fixtures in the UK.
Following this match, they will take on England at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool and Scotland at Murrayfield.
The reason is believed to be that hosting matches on British soil is more lucrative for their governing body, with Fiji understood to hold a desire to first expand their facilities in Suva before hosting Nations Championship matches.
However, the fact that Scotland’s match is at their own home venue, Murrayfield, does suggest that the Principality Stadium could have been used.
The reasons why it wasn’t haven’t been explicitly stated.
Last week, Wales took on the Barbarians in London. Part of the reason was that it was a Baa-Baas home match, but Metallica’s concert on Sunday night was also a factor.
There’s no gigs this weekend,with Principality Staff now turning their attention to readying the pitch for August’s Community Shield.
Ticket demand might have also been a factor, given Wales’ difficult few years at Test level.
Sales were patchy during the Six Nations, although they did pick up as performances improved.
However, even if it’s the only match in Wales this summer, a July clash with Fiji isn’t necessarily the same draw as a Six Nations or autumn match.
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