Launch of Caerphilly County Borough Centre for Sporting Excellence

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• published: 22 May 2014
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Sport stars give seal of approval to Centre for Sporting Excellence Warren Gatland, Andrew Coombs and Hallam Amos were among the guests who became the first to experience an exciting exemplar for sporting excellence in action today. The brand new Caerphilly County Borough Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach was officially opened on Wednesday 21st May by the Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, Cllr Keith Reynolds and Minister for Culture and Sport, John Griffiths AM. Children from primary schools across the county borough became the first to try out the two impressive new 3G pitches, taking part in football and tag rugby tournaments while guests toured the impressive new building and the surrounding grounds. The new flagship facility is set to provide a first class training venue for elite and flourishing rugby and football players to develop their strength and skills using the commanding conditioning suite and the two international standard 3G pitches. The Newport Gwent Dragons will use the facility as their regional base for training and for junior development matches, while Cardiff City FC and the Welsh Rugby Union regional development academies and age grade teams also plan to utilise the grounds. Students from Coleg y Cymoedd will also have access to the facilities and community clubs will have access to the 3G pitches on a priority booking basis. Welsh international and Dragons skipper Andrew Coombs commented, "This facility in Ystrad Mynach is a massive boost for the players. The Caerphilly County Borough Centre for Sporting Excellence is a state of the art training facility and we are all extremely excited to start our pre-season training here. "This is the sort of site that we need in order to develop and maintain our skills to the highest of standards. "Thanks for the help and support to Caerphilly Council, Sport Wales, the Welsh Government, the WRU and the Welsh Football Trust for making this top class facility available to us." Culture and Sport Minister, John Griffiths said. "The facilities I have seen here today are very impressive. It is an excellent example of the council's commitment to provide the best quality facilities for sport and leisure. I am sure it will inspire young people in the area to participate and excel in sport and will complement other council facilities which promote and facilitate healthy lifestyles through physical activity. The links the council has made with other partners including professional sports teams, local clubs and the college are particularly impressive. It is very pleasing to see a collective commitment and drive behind a very worthwhile project." Cllr Dave Poole, Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services, commented, "The Caerphilly County Borough Centre for Sporting Excellence has changed the landscape of Ystrad Mynach and will provide a top class facility for elite athletes and promising young talent to hone and develop their skills in both rugby and football. The investment we have made in developing this facility will support high performance but will also allow some community clubs the opportunity to use facilities that they have only dreamed of!" WRU Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis said: "This is a great example of like-minded people working together in the interests of developing elite sporting talent in the area. Caerphilly County Borough should be recognised for their initiative in creating this outstanding facility that will benefit Newport Gwent Dragons, Cardiff City and ultimately Wales." Welsh Football Trust Chief Executive, Neil Ward, said "We congratulate all those involved, particularly Caerphilly County Borough Council, on the development of such an inspirational facility. A modern, flexible football offer coupled with quality facilities, particularly floodlit artificial turf pitches, are at the heart of our strategy for growing the game and raising standards. The facility will be a huge asset to the community of Ystrad Mynach and the development of both football and rugby. It also represents a model of excellence for other local authorities to emulate." The development of the Caerphilly County Borough Centre for Sporting Excellence has been supported by Sport Wales, Welsh Government, the Welsh Rugby Union and the Welsh Football Trust