Millennium Stadium with the roof closed

The home of Welsh rugby in Cardiff lost its name on Thursday as the ‘Millennium Stadium’ sign was taken down in readiness for its January rebranding as the Principality Stadium.

The steel letters spelling out the stadium’s old name in English and Welsh were removed from the eastern facade of the venue, which sits on the River Taff in the heart of the Welsh capital.

The 74 500-seater arena is to be renamed under a 10-year sponsorship deal with Welsh building society the Principality, which has worked with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) since 1969.

“We are delighted to be entering into this long-term partnership with such a well-regarded Welsh business, which shares similar values to us in wanting to develop Welsh rugby at all levels,” said new Wales Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Martyn Phillips in a press release.

The 1st match to take place at the renamed stadium will be Wales’s Six Nations clash with Scotland on 13 February 2016.

Opened in June 1999 ahead of that year’s Rugby World Cup, the ground is owned by a subsidiary of the WRU and has also hosted major football matches and pop concerts.

It staged 8 games, including 2 quarterfinals, at the recent Rugby World Cup and is also due to host the 2017 Champions League football final.

Sport24