Stradey Park

Stradey Park stood in the centre of Llanelli, a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was a rugby ground with both seating and standing areas, home to Llanelli RFC and later the Scarlets regional team. Before 1990 it held 22,500 people, later reduced to 10,800. After the Scarlets moved to Parc y Scarlets in 2008, the stadium was demolished and replaced by houses. The ground hosted important rugby matches. In 1887 it was chosen for Wales’s first Home Nations game against England, though the match moved to the cricket ground next door because the pitch was frozen. In 1891 it successfully staged another international against Ireland, and in 1893 Wales beat Ireland there with Arthur Gould captaining the side and his brother Bert scoring the winning try. The ground also saw Llanelli RFC defeat Australia in 1967 and 1992 and New Zealand in 1972. Visitors found six separate blocks for spectators, with two open standing terraces at the east and west ends. Temporary stands were added for big matches. Today the site is a housing estate, but one set of goalposts stands in Sandy Water Park, half a mile away, beside a sculpture of Phil Bennett sidestepping a New Zealand player.