Millennium Stadium
Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales — opened 26 Jun 1999 (inaugural event: Wales 29-19 South Africa, rugby union); built on the site of the earlier Cardiff Arms Park/National Stadium, 28 rugby league games hosted, home of Not a club home ground — a national venue, primarily Wales's rugby union home, that hosted the rugby league Challenge Cup Final while Wembley was being rebuilt.
Ground facts
| Opened | 26 Jun 1999 (inaugural event: Wales 29-19 South Africa, rugby union); built on the site of the earlier Cardiff Arms Park/National Stadium (This site's own venue directory uses 'Millennium Stadium,' the venue's name throughout its rugby league Challenge Cup Final years (2003-2005) and other rugby league fixtures covered below. Direct WebFetch verification confirmed the venue was renamed Principality Stadium on 22 Jan 2016, following a sponsorship deal with Principality Building Society announced Sep 2015 — the current/live name for the venue today.) |
| Home club | Not a club home ground — a national venue, primarily Wales's rugby union home, that hosted the rugby league Challenge Cup Final while Wembley was being rebuilt |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 28 |
| Top recorded crowd | 74,213 |
| Capacity | 73,931 (current, reduced from 74,500 in Feb 2019 to increase accessible seating from 168 to 214 spaces) |
| Test matches hosted | 3 |
| Challenge Cup Finals hosted | 3 |
| Floodlights installed | Present; the stadium has a retractable roof, the second in Europe to have one |
| Surface | Natural grass (modular system) 1999-2014; a 'Desso' hybrid grass pitch installed May 2014 |
| Years used | 2000–2023 |
| Location | Cardiff, Cardiff |
Name history
- Millennium Stadium — 26 Jun 1999 - 21 Jan 2016
- Principality Stadium — since 22 Jan 2016, current name, following a sponsorship deal with Principality Building Society
Rugby league history
Wales's national stadium, primarily a rugby union venue, hosted the rugby league Challenge Cup Final for three consecutive years (2003-2005) while Wembley Stadium was being rebuilt, plus 2000 and 2013 Rugby League World Cup fixtures and a 2002 Wales Test. Also hosted the inaugural 'Millennium Magic' weekend in 2007, an entire Super League round played over two days at the stadium — the forerunner of the later 'Magic Weekend' concept, which subsequently relocated to other venues under that new name.
Primarily Wales's national rugby union stadium; also hosts football and other major events.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 2003 — Bradford Bulls 22-20 Leeds Rhinos, attendance 71,212
- 2004 — St Helens 36-16 Wigan Warriors, attendance 73,734
- 2005 — Hull FC 25-24 Leeds Rhinos, attendance 74,213, this site's own recorded top crowd for the venue and the largest rugby league crowd recorded at the stadium
- 5 Nov 2000 — 2000 Rugby League World Cup double-header: Cook Islands 22-22 Lebanon, and Wales 18-58 New Zealand, combined attendance 17,612
- 2002 — Wales 22-50 New Zealand, attendance 8,746
- 26 Oct 2013 — 2013 Rugby League World Cup opening ceremony and double-header: Australia 28-20 England, and Wales 16-32 Italy, combined attendance 45,052
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Group A, 26 Oct 2013 | 2013 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 28-20 England |
| Inter-group, 26 Oct 2013 | 2013 Rugby League World Cup | Wales 16-32 Italy |
| 2005 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Hull FC 25-24 Leeds Rhinos |
| 2004 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | St Helens 32-16 Wigan Warriors |
| 2003 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Bradford Bulls 22-20 Leeds Rhinos |
| Group B, 5 Nov 2000 | 2000 Rugby League World Cup | Cook Islands 22-22 Lebanon |
| Group B, 5 Nov 2000 | 2000 Rugby League World Cup | Wales 18-58 New Zealand |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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