Vetch Field
Swansea, Swansea, Wales
Vetch Field, Swansea, Wales — opened 1912, 8 rugby league games hosted, home of no permanent rugby league tenant — used as a neutral/occasional venue for Wales national team internationals and Super League "on the road" showcase fixtures; the ground's permanent tenant throughout was Swansea City A.F.C. (football), 1912-2005.
Sourcing caveat: Total Rugby League states six Wales internationals were played here 1991-1999, but only three are individually named/dated in sources found (Papua New Guinea 1991, Western Samoa 1995, Ireland 1999); the other three could not be confirmed.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1912 |
| Home club | no permanent rugby league tenant — used as a neutral/occasional venue for Wales national team internationals and Super League "on the road" showcase fixtures; the ground's permanent tenant throughout was Swansea City A.F.C. (football), 1912-2005 |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 8 |
| Top recorded crowd | 15,385 (Rugby League — Group C, 15 Oct 1995, 1995 Rugby League World Cup: Wales 22-10 Western Samoa) |
| Capacity | grew from around 1,500 at opening to a peak of over 30,000; reduced to 11,475 (all-seated) by closure in 2005 |
| Test matches hosted | 3 |
| Floodlights installed | first floodlit match 1960-61 season; last floodlit match 15 April 2005 |
| Surface | originally compacted coal cinder (1912), later grassed over; natural grass for the rugby league era in the 1990s |
| First rugby league match | 19 August 1990 — Rugby League Charity Shield, Widnes 24-8 Wigan, curtain-raiser to the 1990-91 season |
| Years used | 1990–1999 |
| Location | Swansea, Swansea |
Name history
- Vetch Field — 1912–2011 (demolished February 2011); the only name it was ever known by
Rugby league history
The Vetch was overwhelmingly a football ground — Swansea City's home from 1912 to 2005, and host to 18 Wales football internationals between 1921 and 1988. Its rugby league use was incidental rather than a settled tenancy: occasional neutral-venue hosting of Wales rugby league internationals and Super League promotional fixtures during the code's 1990s "on the road" expansion era, taking advantage of a sizeable stadium in a rugby-mad but football-dominant city. Six Wales matches are recorded there across 1991-1999, though only three could be individually confirmed by name and date in sources found. The ground was demolished in 2011; the site is now a public park, with the former centre circle preserved as a memorial spot for supporters' ashes.
Primarily a football ground — Swansea City A.F.C.'s home 1912-2005, with a record football attendance of 32,796 (FA Cup v Arsenal, 17 February 1968), and host to 18 Wales football internationals.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 1991 — Wales 68-0 Papua New Guinea
- 1995 Rugby League World Cup — Wales 22-10 Western Samoa (15,385, our recorded top crowd)
- 1999 — Ireland 24-17 Wales
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 C, 15 Oct 1995 | 1995 Rugby League World Cup | Wales 22-10 Western Samoa |
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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