St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground
Encyclopedia
St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground is a spectator venue in Swansea
, Wales. It is used for both rugby
and cricket
.
It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night
fireworks display.
, and the Swansea Cricket club.
In 2005, the venue could hold an audience of 10,500 seated before it was re-developed. The famous east stand, which had provided cloisters over part of Oystermouth Road, has since been demolished and replaced with a metallic stand unloved by locals. The tallest flood light stand in Europe is in St. Helen's Ground. In late November 2007, the ground's perimeter wall in the South East corner, next to Mumbles Road and Gorse Lane, was knocked down and a new wall built further inside the ground, in similar style to the old wall. This was to accommodate a new car park with 39 spaces for the Patti Pavilion.
. The ground was the scene of New Zealand's first victory over Wales
in 1924. On 10 April 1954, St. Helen's staged its last international until a test match between Wales and Tonga
was also played at the ground in 1997. The decision to abandon Swansea as an international rugby union venue in the 1950s was prompted by overstretch of what was then a 50,000-capacity ground; delays for players and spectators travelling west along the A48
, especially at Port Talbot
; and higher revenues from games at Cardiff Arms Park
. Swansea Corporation discussed raising the capacity to 70,000 or even 82,000, but wartime bomb damage inflicted on the city forced a revision of building priorities. However, the ground has been used to host three Welsh women's internationals. The first women's international at Swansea was in April 1999 against England, and the most recent was in November 2009 when Wales defeated Sweden
56-7.
Swansea RFC
defeated New Zealand 11-3 at St. Helen's on 28 September 1935, becoming the first ever club side to beat the All Blacks. Swansea also defeated world champions Australia
21-6 in November 1992, when Australia played their first match of their Welsh Tour.
Between 1919 and 1952, St. Helen's was also the home of Swansea Uplands RFC
until the club sought its new home in Upper Killay.
hit the first ever six sixes in one over in first-class cricket
. Sobers was playing as captain of Nottinghamshire
against Glamorgan
.
As part of their commitment to the entire country of Wales
, Glamorgan County Cricket Club play some of their home matches at St. Helen's, as well as their regular home ground, SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff
, and Colwyn Bay Cricket Club's ground
in Rhos-on-Sea
.
Wales Minor Counties Cricket Club
, who have played minor counties cricket
since 1988, use the ground as a home base. They are currently the only non-English team in the Minor Counties Championship.
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales. It is used for both rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.
It is owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea council and is also used to host the local annual Guy Fawkes night
Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
fireworks display.
History
Since the ground opened in 1873 it has been the home of the Swansea Rugby Football ClubSwansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
, and the Swansea Cricket club.
In 2005, the venue could hold an audience of 10,500 seated before it was re-developed. The famous east stand, which had provided cloisters over part of Oystermouth Road, has since been demolished and replaced with a metallic stand unloved by locals. The tallest flood light stand in Europe is in St. Helen's Ground. In late November 2007, the ground's perimeter wall in the South East corner, next to Mumbles Road and Gorse Lane, was knocked down and a new wall built further inside the ground, in similar style to the old wall. This was to accommodate a new car park with 39 spaces for the Patti Pavilion.
Rugby
The first home international in the history of Welsh rugby was played at St. Helen's on 16 December 1882, against EnglandEngland national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. The ground was the scene of New Zealand's first victory over Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
in 1924. On 10 April 1954, St. Helen's staged its last international until a test match between Wales and Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
was also played at the ground in 1997. The decision to abandon Swansea as an international rugby union venue in the 1950s was prompted by overstretch of what was then a 50,000-capacity ground; delays for players and spectators travelling west along the A48
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
, especially at Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
; and higher revenues from games at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
. Swansea Corporation discussed raising the capacity to 70,000 or even 82,000, but wartime bomb damage inflicted on the city forced a revision of building priorities. However, the ground has been used to host three Welsh women's internationals. The first women's international at Swansea was in April 1999 against England, and the most recent was in November 2009 when Wales defeated Sweden
Sweden women's national rugby union team
The Sweden women's national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Sweden, representing them at rugby union. The side first played in 1984.-Results summary:-Current Squad:-Results:...
56-7.
Swansea RFC
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
defeated New Zealand 11-3 at St. Helen's on 28 September 1935, becoming the first ever club side to beat the All Blacks. Swansea also defeated world champions Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
21-6 in November 1992, when Australia played their first match of their Welsh Tour.
Between 1919 and 1952, St. Helen's was also the home of Swansea Uplands RFC
Swansea Uplands RFC
Swansea Uplands RFC is a rugby union club based in Upper Killay, Swansea, south Wales.Swansea Uplands RFC was founded at the Uplands Hotel, Swansea in 1919 by players of the pre-World War I Swansea Grammar School team on their return to Swansea...
until the club sought its new home in Upper Killay.
Cricket
It was in this ground in 1968 that Sir Garfield SobersGarfield Sobers
Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers AO, OCC is a former cricketer who captained West Indies. His first name of Garfield is variously abbreviated as Gary or Garry. He is widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest ever all-rounders, having excelled at all the essential skills of batting, bowling and...
hit the first ever six sixes in one over in first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
. Sobers was playing as captain of Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
.
As part of their commitment to the entire country of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Glamorgan County Cricket Club play some of their home matches at St. Helen's, as well as their regular home ground, SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and Colwyn Bay Cricket Club's ground
Colwyn Bay Cricket Club Ground
Penrhyn Avenue is a cricket ground in Colwyn Bay, Wales. The ground was first used by the Glamorgan 1st XI in 1966, although County Championship matches have only been an annual fixture since 1990...
in Rhos-on-Sea
Rhos-on-Sea
Rhos-on-Sea also known as Llandrillo-yn-Rhos in Welsh, or Rhos or Llandrillo , is a seaside resort in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The population was 7,110 in 2001. It is a mile to the north but effectively a suburb of Colwyn Bay, on the coast of North Wales...
.
Wales Minor Counties Cricket Club
Wales Minor Counties Cricket Club
Wales Minor Counties Cricket Club, representing the historic counties of Wales except Glamorgan is currently the only non-English member of the Minor Counties Championship in the England and Wales domestic cricket structure....
, who have played minor counties cricket
Minor counties of English cricket
The Minor Counties are the cricketing counties of England and Wales that are not afforded first-class status. The game is administered by the Minor Counties Cricket Association which comes under the England and Wales Cricket Board...
since 1988, use the ground as a home base. They are currently the only non-English team in the Minor Counties Championship.