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Magner’s League rugby union side The Scarlets and Carmarthenshire County Council recently partnered to build the impressive Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli.

The new stadium replaces the world famous, Stadey Park, and has become the latest Welsh region headquarters to install a TigerTurf rugby area in its indoor training base.

The local community is also reaping the rewards from of the state of the art indoor training facility. The local council have use of the indoor training barn all year round to hold events and help promote healthy living in the area.

Mark James, the chief executive of Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “Parc y Scarlets is bringing huge social and economic benefits to Llanelli and Carmarthenshire, above and beyond providing a first class home for the Scarlets.

“There are numerous health and community benefits with leisure and community sporting facilities such as the athletics track and training barn, and the provision of a state of the art venue for a wide range of activities.

“Council support for this stadium development has safeguarded and further promoted the economic and community benefits that the club brings to the town of Llanelli and the wider community of Carmarthenshire.”

TigerTurf's rugby surface, a sand and rubber dressed system with a low abrasive yarn type and is a tried and tested system, down at over 23 sites in the UK. Two of the four Welsh rugby regions currently use the TigerTurf surface and it is hoped that Newport Gwent Dragons will be added to that list in the near future.

Importantly the surface absorbs the impact of a second row landing awkwardly from a line out and protects the front rows. It also provides enough resistance for players to sprint, step and swerve just like on the best maintained natural surface.

David Lyons, Llanelli Scarlet vice captain and Australian number 8, said; “The facilities here are first class and it was one of the factors that attracted me into coming down to play for The Scarlets.

“Having this surface means that even in the wet Welsh winters we can move our sessions indoors without any impact on our training regime.

“You can take contact on the surface and do everything that we require which means we are able to train effectively and come Saturday we are ready for the game.”

Huw Evans, Chairman of the Scarlets, is also delighted with the new facility; “This heralds the start of a new era for the Scarlets; one which is focused on strengthening our commercial position and ensuring we remain a major force in European rugby.

“Our vision was to create a home that benefited Scarlets rugby region as a whole. It will allow our teams to operate and train at the highest level.

“Parc y Scarlets gives us the opportunity to broaden our reach without losing our roots and our heritage comes with us as we move here. This is a truly magnificent stadium, one that the Scarlets are very proud of, and one that the whole of Carmarthenshire can celebrate in.”