Located on the east bank of the River Usk, Rodney Parade is the home of Dragons RFC, Newport RFC and Newport County. It is the second oldest sports venue used in the Football League, after Deepdale.
Rodney Parade was opened in 1877 – two years after the creation of Newport Athletic Club – after the land was secured from Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, and was home to cricket, tennis, athletics and rugby.
In October 1879 Newport RFC played Cardiff RFC in a floodlit game at Rodney Parade; the first ground to have floodlights installed in Wales. Newport rugby club enjoyed six highly successful seasons, having been unbeaten for six consecutive seasons.
Monmouthshire County Cricket Club played at Rodney Parade from 1901 to 1934. The cricket ground which was on the south of the site no longer exists as the new Maindee Primary School was built on the site in 1993 and Newport Cricket Club relocated to Newport International Sports Village.
Rodney Parade has hosted six full-cap rugby union international matches for the Wales national side, first against Scotland in 1884 and most recently in 1912 with a friendly against France.
Other international sides to grace Rodney Parade include the powerful All Blacks of 1924, and the strong Springboks of 1960. Both were considered fortunate to evade defeat at Rodney Parade against Newport.
Following the introduction of regional rugby, Rodney Parade became home to the Dragons in 2003 and shared the stadium with Newport RFC for the 2013-14 season onwards.
In September 2007 it was announced that the Rodney Parade site was due to be redeveloped. The new east stand was opened in October 2011 and named the Bisley Stand.
In May 2012 it was agreed that Newport County FC would relocate from Newport Stadium and play its home fixtures at Rodney Parade in an initial three-year deal, the first time that the stadium would host association football matches on a regular basis. In February 2013 Newport County agreed a further 10-year lease to play at Rodney Parade.
In March 2017 the sale of the ground to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) was agreed following a vote of Newport RFC Shareholders. The deal included the WRU wholly owning both the ground and the regional rugby union team. The takeover was completed on 27 June 2017 and work started to install a hybrid grass pitch for the 2017-18 rugby and football season.
Rodney Parade is now regarded as one of the busiest stadium pitches in the United Kingdom.
International Rugby Matches
12.01.1884 – 1884 Home Nations Championship – Wales vs Scotland
04.02.1888 – 1888 Home Nations Championship – Wales vs Scotland
03.01.1891 – 1891 Home Nations Championship – Wales vs England
03.02.1894 – 1894 Home Nations Championship – Wales v Scotland
09.01.1897 – 1897 Home Nations Championship – Wales vs England
25.03.1912 – Friendly - Wales vs France
International Football Matches
31.08.2018 – Women’s World Cup Qualifier – Wales vs England
