Millennium Stadium : Home of Welsh Rugby Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The second millennium approached and the Welsh rugby community began to get excited as there would soon be a bigger, better home for the union code in Wales. In 1999 the appropriately named Millennium Stadium was opened, but in which of the following Welsh cities is it to be found?

Answer: Cardiff

Situated on Cardiff's River Taff, the Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm in the Welsh language) would become one of the greatest rugby arenas in the world with a maximum capacity of more than 70,000 people on sell-out match days. Despite the capacity of the stadium being so large, the stadium can feel very small when full, creating a cauldron of atmosphere that in this Welshman's opinion is unlikely to be matched in other rugby union venues.

2. The driving force behind the completion of the Millennium Stadium was the urge to show the world that Wales could hold major sporting events and make it a success. This was becoming an increasingly impossible task with the then national rugby stadium which was deemed to be too small. Which of the following did the Millennium Stadium replace as the home of international Welsh rugby union?

Answer: The Arms Park

The Arms Park is also known as Cardiff Arms Park and in Welsh, Parc yr Arfau Caerdydd. Despite being abandoned as the home of international Welsh rugby, the stadium still played a part in the sport at a local level. The Cardiff Blues played there from 2003 to 2009 and the stadium remains home to Cardiff RFC despite the capacity of the stadium being reduced by about a quarter.

3. When the Millennium Stadium first opened in 1999 it was the main venue for a hugely important international rugby competition that would be hosted by Wales. The final of which of the following rugby union competitions (only the fourth final of its kind) was held in the Millennium Stadium that year?

Answer: Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup was first contested in 1987 and it was hosted deep in the southern hemisphere by Australia and New Zealand. The inaugural champions would turn out to be one of the hosts, New Zealand, who defeated France in the final. France would also appear in the final of the 1999 Rugby World Cup held in Wales and would again fall at the last hurdle, this time losing out to Australia.

4. The first ever rugby union match to be played at the Millennium Stadium was a friendly between Wales and South Africa and this match would fittingly produce a small bit of rugby history. Which of the following happened for the first time?

Answer: Wales beat South Africa

South Africa and Wales have a long history of playing each other in international rugby union matches. Their first encounter was in February 1906 at Cardiff Arms Park where Wales were beaten 11-0, failing to score a point. From 1906 to 1998, the countries played each other 12 times and Wales had failed to register a win. Wales had their first win in their 13th meeting and that was fittingly in the first international rugby match played at the Millennium Stadium in June 1999.

5. The Challenge Cup is a sporting competition that has been contested since 1896, the same year as the first modern Olympiad in Athens, Greece. The Millennium Stadium has been the venue for the final of this competition several times, but what sport is being played?

Answer: Rugby League

The Challenge Cup is one of the prides of British rugby league and the Millennium Stadium had the privilege of being the venue for the final of this competition in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In those three years some of the closest results in the tournament's history were registered with the 2005 final ending up with a Hull FC win over Leeds Rhinos, 25-24.

The period 2003-2005 was the first time that the final of the Challenge Cup was played at a Welsh stadium.

6. The Millennium Stadium has been the venue for a few nights of boxing and one of the biggest fights to take place there was witnessed in November of 2007. It was a clash between two super middleweights who were undefeated prior to the clash. What is the name of the Welsh boxer who won the contest by unanimous decision?

Answer: Joe Calzaghe

Over 50,000 people turned up to the Millennium Stadium to watch this clash between Welshman, Joe Calzaghe (undefeated in career of 43 fights) and Dane, Mikkel Kessler (undefeated in career of 39 fights). Calzaghe would go on to win this match in front of a home crowd and continue his incredible undefeated record (he retired undefeated in February 2009).

It was after this fight, where he obtained his third super middleweight belt, that he could be considered the best boxer in the world for that weight division.

7. The Millennium Stadium has been the venue for the final of the European Rugby Cup on several occasions. Since the inaugural season of this tournament back in 1995 what has this competition been better known as?

Answer: Heineken Cup

The European Rugby Cup has been better known as the Heineken Cup since 1995. Heineken have been the long time sponsors of the tournament, however, due to French law the tournament is advertised as the H-Cup in that country. This is to avoid the advertisement of alcoholic beverages, a ban that is similar to one in the UK where the advertisement of tobacco products is not allowed at sporting events.

The Millennium Stadium has been the venue for the final of the Heineken Cup in the seasons 2001-02, 2005-06, and 2007-08. However, the first two seasons of the Heineken Cup had their final played at Cardiff Arms Park, the predecessor of the Millennium Stadium.

8. Despite being better known for hosting rugby union matches, the Millennium Stadium has been the venue for hugely important domestic football (soccer) matches. The final of which season long English knock-out football competition was held at the Millennium Stadium from 2001 to 2006?

Answer: FA Cup

The FA (Football Association) Cup is the most prestigious cup competition in English football. Welsh teams are allowed to compete; Cardiff City FC, Swansea City AFC and Wrexham FC are the most noteworthy Welsh teams that compete in the English leagues. Cardiff City FC have actually won the FA Cup and that was back in the 1926-7 season.

The FA Cup returned "home" after 2006 and from thereon in would be played at Wembley Stadium, London.

9. One of the most iconic features of the Millennium Stadium has been at the centre of attention on many big sporting occasions. At the time of its construction, the Millennium Stadium would become the largest stadium that hosts football (soccer) matches in the world to have which iconic feature?

Answer: Sliding roof

Upon completion of the Millennium Stadium, ready for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, it had become the largest stadium that hosted international football matches in the world to have a sliding roof. This feature had many supporters but it also invited criticism.

The retractable roof is also used in pre-match psychology by home and visiting teams. The Welsh rugby team usually like to play under the roof so that the sound of the home support is amplified. However, visiting teams often complain about having to play rugby under the roof with many managers and coaches stating that rugby is an outdoor game and thus shouldn't be played with a closed roof.

10. Due to the way that the field of the Millennium Stadium is constructed, many different sports are played at the arena. In addition to the plethora of sports played at the Welsh stadium, are pop concerts and other non-sporting events based at the arena?

Answer: Yes

It is due to the rather uninteresting mechanics of the pitch, namely the removable concrete underneath the grass, that it is possible for motorsports and concerts of varying musical genres to be successfully housed at the venue. With past acts ranging from The Rolling Stones to the ever-present Madonna, the Millennium Stadium is not just an outstanding centre of Welsh sport but is too at the heart of Welsh culture.

Source: Author jonnowales

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Welcome to this quiz on the stadium at the heart of Welsh rugby union, the Millennium Stadium. I hope you enjoy the quiz.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>