The Wern

Last updated
The Wern
The Wern Sports Park logo.png
The Wern
Full nameThe Wern Sports Park
Location Merthyr Tydfil
Coordinates 51°44′33″N3°23′05″W / 51.742439°N 3.384731°W / 51.742439; -3.384731 Coordinates: 51°44′33″N3°23′05″W / 51.742439°N 3.384731°W / 51.742439; -3.384731
Capacity 4,500
Surface Artificial turf
Opened1958
Tenants
Merthyr RFC (1958-)
South Wales Ironmen (2017)

The Wern is a sports stadium in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. It is the home of rugby union club Merthyr RFC and was, for a short period in 2017, also home of rugby league club South Wales Ironmen. [1] The stadium is located on Cae'r Wern in the east of Merthyr Tydfil, around 10 minutes walk from the town centre. Opened in 1958, [2] there has been expansion and improvements made to facilities in recent years, including the addition of an artificial turf pitch [3] and the construction of additional stands. The stadium is a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 4,500.

Contents

The stadium is one of two in the town, along with Penydarren Park, home of Merthyr Town F.C.

Stands

There are three covered stands at the Wern along with additional standing room around all sides of the pitch. Access to all stands is via Cae'r Wern.

Main Stand

This all-seater stand is raised above the pitch with a set of steps up to the first row of seating. The changing rooms and media facilities are located in this stand.

Sir Gilbert Stanley Thomas Stand

A temporary, all-seater stand, named for Merthyr RFC president Sir Stanley Thomas. It extends approximately halfway down each side of the pitch either side of the halfway line.

Leisuretime Stand

A combination of seating and standing, this stand is located at one end of the pitch. The stand is sponsored by travel company Leisuretime.

Additional facilities

The facilities at the Wern have been improved in recent years, in line with rising attendances due to Merthyr RFC's league success.

3G all-weather pitch

The playing surface is Artificial turf. This was installed in 2016 by South Wales Sports Grounds and is complete with a blue border around the main playing surface.

Floodlights

There are several tall floodlights positioned along both sides of the pitch.

Club shop

A club shop is situated in the main car park and operated by Merthyr RFC kit manufacturer, Macron.

Lounge/bar

A sponsors lounge and bar is located to one side of the Main Stand and is open during match days.

Transport

The Wern is located approximately 10 minutes walk from Merthyr Tydfil bus station and Merthyr Tydfil railway station. Parking at the stadium is limited with around 50 available spaces.

Clubhouse

The clubhouse is located around half a mile from the Wern, close to Merthyr Tydfil College and the town centre. There are several bars, a function room and parking facilities.

Related Research Articles

Cardiff Arms Park Sports venue in Cardiff, Wales

Cardiff Arms Park, also known as The Arms Park, is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. It is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World Cup, including the third-place play-off. The Arms Park also hosted the inaugural Heineken Cup Final of 1995–96 and the following year in 1996–97.

Merthyr Tydfil Welsh county borough

Merthyr Tydfil is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough and administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about 23 miles (37 km) north of Cardiff, Wales. Often known as Merthyr, the town is said to be named after Tydfil, a daughter of King Brychan of Brycheiniog. According to her legend she was slain at Merthyr by pagans about 480 CE; the place was subsequently named in her honour. Although merthyr generally means "martyr" in modern Welsh, the meaning here is closer to the Latin martyrium: a place of worship built over relics of a martyr. Similar examples from south Wales are Merthyr Cynog, Merthyr Dyfan and Merthyr Mawr.

Edgeley Park Football stadium in Edgeley, Stockport, England

Edgeley Park is a football stadium in Edgeley, Stockport, England. Built for rugby league club Stockport RFC in 1901, by 1902, the rugby club was defunct and Stockport County Football Club moved in.

Rugby Park Football stadium in Kilmarnock, Scotland

Rugby Park, also known as The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C.. Rugby Park has also been used for concerts, with Elton John playing to 15,000 in a first for the venue. In 2002, the club constructed the Park Hotel, a 4-star hotel complex next to the ground.

Ninian Park Stadium in Cardiff, Wales

Ninian Park was a football stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovations during its lifespan and hosted fixtures with over 60,000 spectators in attendance. At the time of its closure in 2009, it had a capacity of 21,508.

Abercynon Human settlement in Wales

Abercynon, is both a village and a community in the Cynon Valley within the unitary authority of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The community comprises the village and the districts of Carnetown and Grovers Field to the south, Navigation Park to the east, and Glancynon to the north.

Yarrow Stadium

Yarrow Stadium is situated in the central suburb of Westown in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, with main vehicle access off Maratahu Street. Named the third best rugby stadium on earth by New Zealand Rugby World magazine in May 2009, Yarrow Stadium conforms with the International Rugby Board's "clean stadium" policy.

Racecourse Ground Welsh football stadium

The Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, North Wales, is the home of Wrexham A.F.C..

Blundell Park Football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club

Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1899, but only one of the original stands remains. The current capacity of the ground is 9,052, after being made all-seater in summer 1995, reducing the number from around 27,000. Several relegations in previous years meant the expansion seating was also taken away; that reduced the capacity further from around 12,000 to what it is now.

Stradey Park

Stradey Park was a rugby union stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800. With the Scarlets having moved to Parc y Scarlets, Stradey Park was demolished in 2010 and has since been replaced with housing.

Rodney Parade

Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, South Wales, owned and operated by the Welsh Rugby Union. It is located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre. The ground is on Rodney Road, a short walk from the city's central bus and railway stations via Newport Bridge or Newport City footbridge. There is no spectator car park at the ground but a number of multi-storey car parks are nearby.

Rugby Park Stadium

Rugby Park is a sports venue in Invercargill and the home ground for the Mitre 10 Cup and Southland. Rugby Park is located on the corner of Elles Road and Tweed Street.

Kingston Park (stadium)

Kingston Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is used mostly for rugby union and rugby league matches and is the home stadium of Premiership Rugby side Newcastle Falcons and Betfred Championship Rugby League side Newcastle Thunder. From 2007 to 2009 it was home to semi-professional football team Newcastle Blue Star.

Penydarren Park

Penydarren Park is a sports stadium in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, that is the present home ground of Merthyr Town F.C.. Historically used for varying sports, it has been the home to two professional football teams, Merthyr Town and Merthyr Tydfil F.C.. It has a capacity of 4,500.

Merthyr RFC is a Welsh rugby union club based in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. Merthyr RFC are members of the Welsh Rugby Union, playing in the Principality Premiership, and are a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.

Athletic Ground, Richmond

Built in 1886, and located in Richmond upon Thames, London, the Athletic Ground is a rugby ground, managed by Richmond Athletic Association, home to Green King IPA Championship sides Richmond and London Scottish. The first team pitch has a stand capable of seating around 1,000 people, though in the past temporary stands have been erected in the considerable space around the pitch to boost the seated capacity. Lower league side, Old Tonbridgians RFC, also play home games at the Athletic Ground. As well as rugby, a small football team by the name of Mortlake FC play at this ground.

Merthyr Tydfil Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at College Field, Merthyr Tydfil were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and folded in 1911 after the failure of the Welsh League. Merthyr Tydfil produced five players who would go on to represent the Wales national rugby league team, and in the 1908-09 season finished eighth in the Northern League, the best result achieved by any of the first six professional Welsh teams.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough County borough

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough has been one of the 22 unitary authorities in Wales since 1 April 1996. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough today has a population of 60,183. It is located in the historic county of Glamorgan and takes its name from Merthyr Tydfil town. The County Borough consists of the northern part of the Taff Valley and the smaller neighbouring Taff Bargoed Valley. It borders the counties of Rhondda Cynon Taf to the west, Caerphilly county borough to the east, and Powys to the north.

Stade Municipal Georges Lefèvre Sports complex in Paris

The Stade Municipal Georges Lefèvre is a sports complex located on Président-Kennedy avenue in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, just across the street from Camp des Loges, the training centre of Paris Saint-Germain.

West Wales Raiders Welsh professional rugby league club, based in Llanelli, Wales

The West Wales Raiders are a professional rugby league club based in Llanelli, Wales, following a move from Merthyr Tydfil. They play in League 1, the third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom. The club was formed in 2009 as South Wales Scorpions, initially playing at The Gnoll in Neath before spells at Caerphilly, Mountain Ash and Maesteg. The club was rebranded to South Wales Ironmen to coincide with the move to Merthyr Tydfil in 2017. In July 2017 it was announced that following a takeover the club would be relocating to Llanelli and play their remaining home matches at Stebonheath Park. From 2018 they have been known as West Wales Raiders, the name of the club based at Stebonheath.

References