Martyn Phillips, the chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, has revealed that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium could feature an alcohol-free zone for next year’s autumn internationals.
The WRU recently issued a survey to fans to gather views on the in-venue experience at Principality Stadium, with many responses focusing on alcohol consumption at the ground.
According to Phillips, the survey found that the stadium experience ranks “above other experiences people have in sport”. He admitted though that alcohol consumption is an area that needs assessing to ensure fans of all ages can enjoy their experience.
Phillips said, according to the BBC, that alcohol is a “hot topic” and the WRU “now understand that it is a big part of the experience” for fans.
He added: “Equally there’s a segment that’s saying that’s not why they come, they like a different experience. That might be a non-alcohol zone. They don’t want people standing up or sitting down, or they want to bring their children.”
More responses will be gathered during next year’s Six Nations tournament before a final decision is made on alcohol-free zones.
Phillips continued: “If there are things we think we can do to improve the experience for people, we’ll trial those in the autumn next year.
“Clearly we can’t control what people do before they come into the stadium. If you’ve got a ticket that says ‘alcohol-free zone’ and a stag party turns up and doesn’t have a drink in the stadium because the damage was done beforehand – that wouldn’t be a great experience for the supporter. We’ve got to do it in a smart way.”
Image: David Roberts
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