Newport - Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is one of those grounds that feels as though it has been around forever — and in rugby terms, it almost has. It has been home to Newport RFC since 1875, while the Dragons have played their home matches here since their formation in 2003.
What makes it particularly interesting is that it isn't exclusively a rugby ground. Newport County AFC also share Rodney Parade, making this a genuine dual-purpose sports venue rather than a rugby stadium that occasionally hosts something else.The ground sits surprisingly close to Newport city centre, making it one of the more convenient venues to visit in the Welsh rugby scene. Newport railway station is only around a 15-minute walk away, while the city centre is even closer. For once, you don't need to find a remote industrial estate or negotiate your way through acres of car parks to get to a professional rugby match.
Rodney Parade is fairly compact, with a capacity of around 8,700, and it has a mixture of permanent stands and terracing. It isn't particularly glamorous, but that is part of its appeal. There is a distinctly traditional rugby-ground feel about the place.
The shared nature of the stadium does create some interesting quirks. The pitch has to satisfy the requirements of both rugby and football, while the various stands and facilities have to work for two very different sets of supporters.
The atmosphere can be particularly good when the Dragons are playing one of the big Welsh derbies. With the crowd relatively close to the pitch, there isn't much opportunity for the noise to get lost. It may not have the capacity of the Principality Stadium down the road in Cardiff, but it doesn't suffer from the cavernous feeling that a half-empty 70,000-seater can produce.The Dragons themselves have had a rather turbulent existence since professional rugby was reorganised in Wales. Their identity has changed and there have been plenty of difficult periods on and off the pitch, but the club remains an important part of the rugby landscape in south-east Wales.
And Rodney Parade is very much part of that identity.
There is also something appealing about the fact that you can arrive in Newport, walk from the railway station and find yourself at a ground where both rugby and football are being played at professional level. It feels more like a community sporting venue than a corporate entertainment complex.
Admission
Dragons tickets vary according to the URC fixture and seating area, but adult tickets are generally in the £20–£30 region, with cheaper prices for juniors and concessions. The club also offers family-ticket options for selected matches.
Rodney Parade won't impress you with huge stands, lavish facilities or a spectacular skyline. That's not really what it is about.
It is an old-fashioned, compact sporting ground in the middle of Newport, shared by two clubs and with generations of history behind it.
A proper rugby ground, a proper football ground — and one very useful railway station nearby.
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