Editing Cardiff Arms Park (section)

===Rugby ground ===

{{multiple image|perrow = 2|total_width=350
| image1 = Cardiff Arms Park - north stand.jpg|width1=1280|height1=960
| image2 = East Stand, Arms Park, Cardiff.jpg|width2=2567|height2=1722
| image3 = West Stand, Arms Park.jpg|width3=2674|height3=1648
| image4 = Cardiff Arms Park, South Stand and Millennium Stadium (North Stand).jpg|width4=2586|height4=1725
| footer = The rugby ground stands. Clockwise from upper left:<br />The North Stand, the Family Stand (east stand), the Peter Thomas Stand (south stand), Hospitality Boxes (west stand).
| footer_align = center
}}

Only the rugby ground and the Cardiff Athletic Bowls Club now use the name Cardiff Arms Park. The rugby ground has two main stands, the North Stand and the South Stand. Both the Stands have [[Terrace (stadium)|terracing]] below [[General seating|seating]].<ref name="Seating"/> The other stands in the ground are the Westgate Street end Family Stand,<ref name="Seating">{{cite web|url=http://www.cardiffblues.com/tickets/seating_plan.php|publisher=[[Cardiff Blues]]|title=Seating Plan|access-date=2 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306145802/http://www.cardiffblues.com/tickets/seating_plan.php|archive-date=6 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> which has rows of seating below [[Luxury box|executive boxes]], plus the club shop, and the River Taff end (the Barry Nelmes Suite, named after [[Barry Nelmes]], the former Cardiff RFC captain),<ref name="Seating"/><ref name="Barry">{{cite web|url=http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/3402.php#.VrB6jvmLTIU|publisher=[[Cardiff Blues]]|title=Official opening ceremony of "Barry Nelmes" disabled suite at Cardiff Arms Park|access-date=2 February 2016|archive-date=17 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617115527/http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/3402.php#.VrB6jvmLTIU|url-status=dead}}</ref> which has 26 executive boxes.<ref name="Arms">{{cite web|url=http://www.freewebs.com/tims92/og041cardiffblues.htm|publisher=T.S. Rigby|title=Cardiff Blues, Cardiff Arms Park|access-date=24 May 2008|archive-date=18 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018065115/http://www.freewebs.com/tims92/og041cardiffblues.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The rugby ground has two main entrances, the south entrance, and the Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates ([[Angel Hotel, Cardiff|Angel Hotel]] entrance), which was unveiled on 26 December 1949 in honour of the Welsh international rugby player [[Gwyn Nicholls]].<ref name="Gate">{{cite news |url=http://www.scrum.com/2444_34795.php|work=Scrum.com |title=Dynamic Welsh duo to be inducted into International Rugby Hall of Fame|access-date=25 May 2008}}</ref> The Cardiff Athletic Clubhouse is situated in the corner of the ground between the South Stand and the Westgate Street end.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

{{multiple image|perrow = 3|total_width=475|align=left|header = Entrances to the Arms Park | heaer_align = center
| image1 = Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates 02.jpg|
| image2 = Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates 01.jpg|
| image3 = Entrance to Cardiff Arms Park.jpg|
| footer_align = center
| footer = Gwyn Nicholls Memorial Gates (Angel Hotel entrance) and the Quay Street entrance (right).
}}

The South Stand of the rugby ground formed a complete unit with the North Stand of the National Stadium. Now the same structure of the South Stand of the rugby ground is also physically attached to the North Stand of the Millennium Stadium. This section is known colloquially as Glanmor's Gap, after Glanmor Griffiths, former chair and President of the WRU.<ref name="Glanmor">{{cite news |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/old-battles-reignite-over-shared-2308785 |date=25 October 2006 |work=WalesOnline |title=Old battles reignite over shared ground plans |access-date=25 May 2013 |archive-date=9 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009130807/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/old-battles-reignite-over-shared-2308785 |url-status=live }}</ref> This came about because the WRU were unable to secure enough funding to include the North Stand in the Millennium Stadium, and the [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|National Lottery]] Commission would not provide any additional funds to be used for the construction of a new ground for Cardiff RFC. The Millennium Stadium was therefore built with the old [[reinforced concrete]] structure of the National Stadium (North Stand) and the new steel Millennium Stadium structure built around it.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

There was doubt about the future of the Arms Park after 2010 following the move of the [[Cardiff Blues]] to the [[Cardiff City Stadium]]. Cardiff RFC Ltd, the company that runs Cardiff Blues and Cardiff RFC, still has a 15-year lease on the Arms Park, but talks are underway to release the rugby club from the terms of the lease, to enable the [[Millennium Stadium]] to be redeveloped with a new North Stand and adjoining convention centre. However, it still has the original requirement on the lease, that the land will only be used for "recreational purposes", as stipulated by the Bute family. But the Arms Park site is a prime piece of [[real estate]] in the centre of Cardiff, which means that it may be difficult to sell the land to [[property developers]]. The estimated value of the whole Arms Park site could be at least £25&nbsp;million, although with the "recreational use" requirement, its actual value could be a lot less than that figure.<ref name="Glanmor"/> A decision by Cardiff Athletic Club on the future of the Arms Park has yet to be made.<ref name="Ninian">{{cite web |url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/0200news/tm_headline=stadium-switch-turns-spotlight-on-arms-park&method=full&objectid=19816411&siteid=50082-name_page.html |publisher=[[Media Wales]] |title=Stadium switch turns spotlight on Arms Park |access-date=27 February 2008}}</ref> In 2011, the [[Cardiff Blues]] regional rugby union team made a £6&nbsp;million bid for the Arms Park, later the WRU made an increased bid of £10&nbsp;million for the site. Both bids were rejected by the trustees of the Cardiff Athletic Club.<ref name="Bids">{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/02/23/wru-made-10m-bid-for-cardiff-arms-park-91466-28220384/|publisher=[[Media Wales]]|title=WRU made £10m bid for Cardiff Arms Park|date=23 February 2011|access-date=24 February 2011|archive-date=13 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013175634/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/02/23/wru-made-10m-bid-for-cardiff-arms-park-91466-28220384/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, in 2012 [[Cardiff Blues]] announced that they would be making a permanent return to Cardiff Arms Park following declining attendances at the Cardiff City Stadium.<ref name="return">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17995008|work=BBC News|title=Cardiff Blues announce return to Arms Park|access-date=9 May 2012|archive-date=11 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511070016/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17995008|url-status=live}}</ref> During the 2013 off-season, the pitch at the rugby ground was replaced with an all weather 3G (third generation) artificial turf surface from [[FieldTurf]] at a cost of £400,000,<ref name="3gsurface">{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/gallery/400000-artificial-pitch-laid-cardiff-5705374 |publisher=[[Media Wales]] |title=£400,000 artificial pitch laid at Cardiff Arms Park |access-date=6 November 2022 |date=1 April 2015 |archive-date=6 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106110031/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/gallery/400000-artificial-pitch-laid-cardiff-5705374 |url-status=live }}</ref> intended to prevent any adverse weather conditions from affecting the rugby.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cardiff Blues get go ahead with artificial pitch following WRU approval |url=http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/6415.php |work=cardiffblues.com |publisher=Cardiff Blues |date=13 June 2013 |access-date=13 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616233409/http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/6415.php |archive-date=16 June 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

; <big>'''Proposed redevelopment'''</big>

An agreement in principle was reached in December 2015 between the landlord of the stadium site ([[Cardiff Athletic Club]]) and its tenant (Cardiff Blues) to give the club a 150-year lease on the stadium site.<ref name="Degrees">{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/multi-million-pound-redevelopment-cardiff-10577785#rlabs=1%20rt$category%20p$7|publisher=[[Media Wales]]|title=The multi-million pound redevelopment of Cardiff Arms Park is now a step closer|date=10 December 2015|access-date=10 January 2016|archive-date=13 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113100828/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/multi-million-pound-redevelopment-cardiff-10577785#rlabs=1%20rt$category%20p$7|url-status=live}}</ref> This could see the redevelopment of the Arms Park, including a new 15,000 seater stadium at 90 degrees to the existing stadium costing between £20 million and £30 million and surrounded by new offices and apartments.<ref name="Degrees"/> If the final agreement goes ahead, Cardiff Athletic Club would receive an upfront payment of approximately £8 million.<ref name="Degrees"/> As part of the agreement, the bowls section would have to vacate its current site at the Arms Park and move to a new facility.<ref name="Degrees"/> At present Cardiff Blues pay Cardiff Athletic Club rent of around £115,000 per annum, however this would nearly double to around £200,000.<ref name="Degrees"/>