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72-509: Biarritz Olympique was formed in 1913 through a merger of the Biarritz Stade and Biarritz Sporting Club rugby teams. Biarritz made their way to the final of the French championship for the first time in the 1934 season where they were defeated by Bayonne . The following season they claimed their first championship, defeating Perpignan in the final. That decade Biarritz met Perpignan twice again in

144-609: A banding system. The Professional Rugby Board (PRB) was created between the WRU and clubs to attempt to identify a sustainable path forward. The PRB evaluated numerous options including mergers and relocations of clubs, and by early 2019 felt the preferable option was to merge the Scarlets with west Wales rivals the Ospreys ; the Swansea club having made a made an approach to the Scarlets in late 2018. This

216-436: A defense coach. Wayne Pivac was hired as an assistant coach, but selected as head coach when Simon Easterby left the position to become forwards coach with Ireland . Under Pivac, the Scarlets' performances did not immediately turn around. Centre Jonathan Davies left for Clermont ahead of the 2014–15 season, but Hadleigh Parkes was signed from Auckland, and reunited with former coach Pivac. Mid-table finishes continued for

288-489: A loss away to Munster, in which they came back from 35–7 down at half-time. They then secured their second win over South African opposition of the season with a 32–20 win over a Sharks team heavily laden with Springboks. The Scarlets made their way into the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, after beating Brive 19–7, facing ASM Clermont Auvergne at home. This was the Scarlets first European quarter-final fixture since

360-500: A release for Mooar, and his assistant coach Glenn Delaney was named as his successor. Former Scarlets Dwayne Peel was announced as head coach for the forthcoming season, with Delaney moving to a Director of Rugby role. Peel was at the time contracted to join Cardiff Blues for the following season, as an assistant coach responsible for attack. Following the dismissal of Blues head coach John Mulvihill , former coach Dai Young made

432-593: A return to the club initially as interim head coach and finally Director of Rugby. Due to this new coaching structure, the Scarlets and Blues came to an agreement allowing for Peel to no longer join Cardiff as an assistant coach, and instead join the Scarlets as head coach. After a poor run of matches, Delaney was relieved of his duties as head coach and departed the club before assuming the Director of Rugby role, with Dai Flanagan stepping in as caretaker head coach. Ahead of

504-483: A single point on the table. They finished the season with a win, in the annual Judgement Day fixture against the Dragons. During the season, defence coach Gareth Williams was removed from his position, with Jared Payne moving from attack to replace him, and Peel becoming responsible for the attack. Samson Lee announced his retirement mid-season, having failed to fully recover from a long-standing injury. Johnny McNicholl

576-804: Is a French rugby union club from Bayonne ( Baiona in Basque) in Pyrénées-Atlantiques which competes in the Top 14 , the top tier of the French league system . Founded in 1904, they play at the Parc des Sports, also known as Stade Jean-Dauger , in Bayonne. The club mascot is a pottok pony called pottoka . They have ties to the French Basque community . The club was established in 1904. They made their first final appearance in

648-402: Is produced by Macron . The main shirt sponsor is Capgemini . In 1998, it adopted its current name (Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque), which refers to the club's Basque heritage the name is often abbreviated as BOPB. The club logo is a red and white shield with the B and O in the middle. The words Pays Basque also appear on either side of the logo in green. The Biarritz supporters sometimes wave

720-439: Is the nearest stadium to Biarritz with a suitable capacity for matches such as a Heineken Cup semi-final, which must be played at a venue which can hold at least 20,000 spectators. The Anoeta holds well above that limit, at slightly over 32,000. The first such match held there was a victory over Munster in a quarter final of the 2004–05 Heineken Cup. In 2005–06 Biarritz played and won both their Heineken Cup quarter and semi-finals at

792-433: The 2021–22 United Rugby Championship , Leinster skills coach Hugh Hogan was brought in as defence coach. The Scarlets finished in 10th place, and narrowly missed out on winning the newly created URC Welsh Shield. Hogan departed after one season, being replaced by Wales assistant coach Gareth Williams. Few signings were made prior to the 2022–23 United Rugby Championship season, with All Blacks utility forward Vaea Fifita

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864-823: The Basque flag in the stands. Traditional Basque songs are also heard, as Basque supporters have a reputation for being very good singers. The Parc des Sports Aguilera is considered an intimidating venue to play at, with Biarritz supporters having a reputation for being very vocal. The Biarritz squad for the 2024–25 season is: Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality. The Biarritz Olympique Espoirs squad is: Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality. Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais ( AB , Basque : Baionako Arrauna ), commonly called Bayonne ,

936-551: The Champions Cup , and defeated La Rochelle 29–17 in the quarter-final. The Scarlets fell short of the final, losing to eventual winners Leinster in their semi-final. They again reached the final in the league, having defeated the Cheetahs and Glasgow Warriors in the knock-out rounds, but came up short against Leinster, losing 40–32 in the final despite a late flurry of tries and a hat-trick from Johnny McNicholl. Wayne Pivac

1008-619: The Parc des Sports Aguiléra , which is a multi-use stadium in Biarritz. The stadium is used mostly for rugby and is able to hold around 13,500 people. Apart from Biarritz home games, the ground also hosted an international between the French Barbarians and Argentina . Biarritz sometimes move larger games across the border to Estadio Anoeta in Donostia/San Sebastián , Spain . The Anoeta

1080-663: The Racecourse Ground in Wrexham . The club's new stadium, Parc y Scarlets (English: Scarlets Park ), was constructed in nearby Pemberton , and opened in November 2008. The Scarlets won the league twice: the initial 2003–04 Celtic League season, and the Pro12 in 2016–17, defeating Munster 46–22 in the 2017 Pro12 Grand Final . In 2003, the WRU elected to reduce the top tier of Welsh professional rugby from nine clubs into five regions during

1152-651: The introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales , attempting to mirror the successful formats in Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Initially, it was planned to have a region playing at Stradey Park, with players coming from Llanelli , Swansea and Neath . This was then modified to have Llanelli and Swansea merging, while Neath joined with Bridgend . Llanelli were opposed to both plans and requested standalone status. Eventually, Llanelli and Cardiff were allowed to remain independent. The Llanelli Scarlets brand

1224-513: The 1913 season, when they defeated S.C.U.F. 31–8 at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir . The national domestic championship was replaced by the Coupe de l'Espérance during World War I. This competition was played for four seasons, with Aviron Bayonnais contesting the last final, which they lost to Stadoceste Tarbais 4–3. With the French championship resumed, the club made their next championship game in

1296-516: The 1922 season, when they met Toulouse . Bayonne lost the final 6–0. The two teams would contest the championship final once more the next season, which Toulouse won again, 3–0. Aviron Bayonnais enjoyed success during the mid-1930s, beating Biarritz 13–8 in Toulouse to win their second championship, their first since 1913. They also won the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1936, defeating Perpignan in

1368-537: The 1937 season. However, they were defeated by RC Narbonne 18–12 in the final. In 1992, Biarritz made it to the national final, played at Parc des Princes in Paris . However, Biarritz went down to RC Toulon 19 points to 14. In the 1997–98 season, Biarritz competed in their first European Rugby Cup competition, playing in the European Challenge Cup. Biarritz won three of their six fixtures, and did not make it past

1440-518: The 2019–20 season. The Scarlets won the match 32–30, with a late try by Ryan Conbeer and a match-winning conversion from Sam Costelow three minutes from full-time, propelling them into a home semi-final. The Scarlets lost the resultant semi-final, their final match of the season. The squad saw fifteen players leave the club, owing to the reduced salary caps imposed by the WRU. Notable departures included Rhys Patchell , Leigh Halfpenny , and Aaron Shingler , who spent his entire professional career with

1512-644: The Anoeta, and lost a hard-fought Heineken Cup final to Toulouse, 21–19, at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Saturday, 22 May. On 18 May 2012, Biarritz beat Top 14 rivals Toulon 21-18 in the 2012 Amlin Challenge Cup Final at Twickenham Stoop . Biarritz played poorly during the 2013–14 Top 14 season, and ended up being relegated to the Rugby Pro D2 for the 2014–15 season. Biarritz play their home matches at

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1584-560: The Celtic League. They did, however, find more success in the newly restructured Anglo-Welsh Cup . After finishing at the top of their pool, they defeated Bath by one point in the semi-finals to reach the final against London Wasps at Twickenham ; missing several international players, they lost 26–10. In the Heineken Cup, it was a similar story to the previous season, with the Scarlets winning two of their six fixtures to finish third in

1656-644: The Cheetahs in the return matches to finish top of the pool and set up a round of 16 knockout fixture at home against Brive . The Scarlets followed up on their European victory the following week, beating the Bulls despite missing numerous players to Wales call-ups, and earning their first victory over the Pretoria-based team. During the Six Nations, they secured a bonus-point win against Edinburgh, and two bonus points in

1728-478: The Heineken Cup quarter-final with a convincing 35–11 win over Ulster at Ravenhill . The Scarlets went on to become only the fifth team in the history of the competition to win all their pool matches. They beat current holders Munster 24–15 at Stradey Park in the quarter-finals, but were beaten 33–17 in the semis by a strong Leicester Tigers side, putting an end to their hopes of making it 'third time lucky' in Heineken Cup semi-finals. On 30 April 2008, Phil Davies

1800-489: The Heineken Cup, the Scarlets were drawn in Pool 4 along with Northampton Saints , Agen and Borders . The Scarlets won five of their six matches, losing only to Agen, and finished top of their pool before losing to French club Biarritz 27–10 in the quarter-finals. The following season, however, was less successful. Plagued by injuries and retirements, as well as the departure of influential fly-half Stephen Jones to Clermont ,

1872-591: The Racecourse Ground was in September 2005. The 2006–07 season was planned to be the last season played at Stradey Park, which was subsequently to be demolished for the building of apartments. The Scarlets played every home game of the 2006–07 season at Stradey Park to commemorate the historic ground. They played their last game at Stradey Park on 24 October 2008 against Bristol, and their first game at Parc y Scarlets on 28 November 2008 against Munster. The new home of

1944-458: The Scarlets and Llanelli RFC, known as Parc y Scarlets (English: Scarlets Park ), is in Pemberton . The new stadium cost £23 million to be constructed and holds 14,340 spectators. The first game held at the stadium saw Llanelli RFC play Cardiff RFC on 15 November 2008. The stadium's main stand is located on the south side of the ground, and houses the new Scarlets museum and club shop, as well as

2016-586: The Scarlets consider their region to represent the three counties of Carmarthenshire , Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire . Largely drawn from the Llanelli RFC side that won the Welsh Cup the preceding year, the Scarlets carried that success forward into their inaugural season. They reached the last eight of the 2003–04 Heineken Cup and finished the Celtic League season as champions by four points over Ulster . In

2088-458: The Scarlets faced the Barbarians . During the 2011–12 season, the Scarlets were unable to progress to the knockout rounds of the Heineken Cup, but placing second in their pool earned them an automatic drop-down spot in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup. They lost the resulting fixture against Brive 15–12, despite scoring the only try of the match through Liam Williams. Nigel Davies departed

2160-470: The Scarlets finished a disappointing fifth in the league. They were even less successful in the Heineken Cup, winning just two of their six pool games to finish third behind Northampton and Toulouse . The salvation of their season came in reaching the final of the Celtic Cup , which they lost 26–17 to Munster . The Scarlets again failed to qualify from their Heineken Cup group in 2005–06 and finished sixth in

2232-548: The Top 14 after a seven-year absence. The history of the club extends back to the late 19th century. An athletic club, Biarritz Stade (named that, in 1902) opened up a rugby quarter. In 1909, the Biarritz Sporting Club was established. On 26 April 1913, the fusion of the two clubs took place. The new name of the club was Biarritz Olympique and its inaugural president was M. P. Campagne. On 13 May 1934, Biarritz Olympique played in

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2304-556: The championship final in the 1982 season, but were defeated by SU Agen, 18–9. Aviron Bayonnais was relegated to the Group A2 in 1996, where it spent eight seasons. Following promotion to the Top 16/14 in 2004, they remained in the top flight for 11 consecutive seasons. The team was relegated to the Pro D2 in 2015, and has been a yo-yo club since then. In the 2021–22 Rugby Pro D2 season , they were promoted after defeating Stade Montois 49–20 in

2376-464: The club at the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, and was replaced by defence coach and longtime Scarlets player, Simon Easterby . In May 2014, it was confirmed that the four Welsh regions would compete in the annual Premiership Sevens Series after a three-year deal was agreed with BT Sport . After the 2013–14 season, the Scarlets had numerous changes in coaching staff. Forwards coach Danny Wilson departed for Bristol, while Byron Hayward joined as

2448-523: The club were Welsh international Ioan Lloyd from Bristol Bears , and former Scarlet Tomi Lewis returning from Jersey Reds . Numerous renewals were also confirmed, such as lock pair Morgan Jones and Jac Price , centres Ioan Nicholas , Joe Roberts , and Eddie James , and prop Kemsley Mathias – all players developed from the Scarlets academy. Sam Wainwright signed a full contract, following on from his short-term deal. Hooker Ryan Elias signed an extension, despite interest from abroad. Also signed

2520-511: The club. Corey Baldwin and Dane Blacker were both released, and subsequently signed for the Dragons. In the backroom, Nigel Ashley-Jones departed the club after two seasons to join Eddie Jones with the Australia national rugby union team . Lee Blackett left following his short-term agreement with the club, joining Bath Rugby . Forwards coach Ben Franks returned to New Zealand. Joining

2592-467: The final of the French premiership ; they were however, defeated by Aviron Bayonnais 13 points to 8 at Stade des Ponts Jumeaux in Toulouse in front of 18,000 people. It was the only all-Basque final and is still the final in which the two contenders were separated by the shortest distance (3 miles), outside the all-Parisian finals of the late 19th century. A year later, Biarritz again found themselves in

2664-462: The final of the national championship, this time against USA Perpignan . They emerged victorious, winning three points to nil, claiming their first ever national championship. The success continued in the latter stages of the decade. In the 1938 championship, Biarritz again met USAP in the final, though this time, the Perpignan club were able to get the win, Biarritz losing 11 points to six. A year later,

2736-506: The final, winning one and losing one. It would not be until 1992 when the club made the final again, and then a decade later, winning the championship in 2002. The club won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006, and were runners-up in Europe in 2006 and 2010 as well. In 2013–14, Biarritz won just five matches out of 26, and were relegated to the Pro D2 League. In 2020–21, they were promoted back to

2808-612: The final. The club saw similar results during the mid-1940s, with two championship final appearances, defeating SU Agen in the 1943 final at Parc des Princes in Paris and losing the 1944 season final to Perpignan. The following decades were less successful, and the club would have to wait until the 1980s to reach another championship final. In 1980 they contested the final of the Challenge Yves du Manoir, defeating AS Béziers 16–10 to win their second title in that competition. They made it to

2880-532: The finals, finishing second in their pool, winning two of their six pool fixtures. In 2002, Biarritz made their way to the domestic final for the first time in a decade. They defeated Agen 25 to 22 at Stade de France in Saint-Denis in front of 78,457. That season they were also runners-up to La Rochelle in the Coupe de France final, losing 21–19. The 2002–03 Heineken Cup was also a success for Biarritz, finishing at

2952-404: The first half. The Scarlets beat Munster in the final with an emphatic 46–22 win. This was the Scarlets second title, their first having come in 2004 during the first Celtic League season. The Scarlets looked to maintain their title the following season in the inaugural Pro14 tournament. Leigh Halfpenny joined from Toulon , replacing outgoing fullback Liam Williams . They topped their pool in

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3024-516: The five (now four) regional teams created by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). The Scarlets are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area, including Welsh Premier Division sides Llanelli RFC , Carmarthen Quins RFC and Llandovery RFC . Through the 2007–08 season, they played most of their games at Stradey Park in Llanelli, but they have also played matches at

3096-401: The forwards coach. Shane Carney took over as Head of Athletic Performance, reuniting with Peel, having worked at Ulster together previously. Few wins were seen during the season, the highlights being a home and away win against local rivals Cardiff , and earning a first win outside of Wales with a victory over Zebre Parma . In the Challenge Cup, they lost every match, and failed to earn

3168-659: The four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli , Wales . Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. The club was originally named the Llanelli Scarlets but was renamed at the start of the 2008–09 rugby season. The Llanelli Scarlets were founded in 2003, as one of

3240-508: The headline acquisition, while Liam Williams departed for Cardiff following his second spell with the club. Longtime prop Rob Evans followed Steffan Hughes , and former Dragon Angus O'Brien to the Dragons , along with backs coach Dai Flanagan, who was named as their new head coach. Following their collapse in October 2022, Wasps head coach Lee Blackett joined as backs coach for the remainder of

3312-474: The merger was "off the table", with Ospreys chairman Mike James resigning, and the club formation ultimately remaining unchanged. New coach Brad Mooar started the 2019 season well, winning five out of the first six matches, but left before settling in, having been selected by new All Blacks coach Ian Foster to join his staff as assistant coach. The Scarlets and the New Zealand Rugby Union agreed to

3384-409: The next two seasons. Mark Jones departed in 2015, replaced by long time Scarlets fly-half and London Wasps attack coach Stephen Jones. Ahead of 2016, Tadhg Beirne joined the side. The Irish forward arrived from Leinster , and capable of playing at lock and in the back row, proved to be an influential player in the pack. Recruitment was further bolstered with Crusaders back Johnny McNicholl and

3456-460: The nickname of Llanelli RFC, their main feeder club. Llanelli have played in red since 1884 when they played a game against a touring Ireland side. This close link with Llanelli RFC has also led to the Scarlets adopting the scarlet red colour for their primary jerseys, with their secondary colours generally being blue. The region was originally named the Llanelli Scarlets, but was renamed at

3528-532: The one pool game against the London Wasps and finished at the top of their pool. They then defeated Munster in the quarter-finals, to repeat their success of the previous season by making the semi-finals. They, however, lost to Stade Français, 20–17 at Parc des Princes. More success followed in 2005, where they defeated the Stade Français club 37 points to 34 in the domestic final after a very rugged challenge. In

3600-546: The opposition and benefactors pulling out of the club, it was "extremely unlikely that [the Llanelli Scarlets] could survive to the end of the present season unless other financial assistance is found", which would result in "the loss, probably for all time, of professional rugby in West Wales." Local residents believed, however, that the infrastructure, such as roads and schools, will not cope with 450 new houses being built on

3672-431: The playoff final. The Bayonne squad for the 2024–25 season is: Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality. Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality. Scarlets The Scarlets ( Welsh : Y Scarlets ) are one of

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3744-432: The pool again, behind Toulouse and Wasps. Despite finishing sixth in the Celtic League, the team qualified for the Heineken Cup for the 2006–07 season as the second-best-placed Welsh team in the league. They also re-signed Stephen Jones, and full-back Barry Davies extended his contract to stay with the Scarlets. The Scarlets' Director of Rugby, Gareth Jenkins , had been appointed as Wales' national team coach, having been with

3816-399: The pool stages. The 1998–99 season was similar to the previous, though they were able to win one more of their pool fixtures, but finished third in the pool standings after other French clubs Agen and Brive. In their third Challenge Cup, Biarritz only lost one pool game and finished first in the standings. However, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by English club Bristol. As well as

3888-468: The quarter-finals and Munster in the semi-finals. Biarritz Olympique usually play in red and white colours. Green is the club's tertiary colour, as red, white and green are the traditional colours that represent the Basque Country. Their home uniform consists of red socks and shorts with a predominantly white shirt with red sides. A second jersey also has one green arm. For the 2015-16 season, their kit

3960-460: The region since its inception. Phil Davies , then coach of Leeds Tykes , replaced Jenkins at the Scarlets. At the first home game of the 2006–07 season, an information sheet was handed out to supporters with details of the club's financial situation. There was opposition by local residents to plans by the Scarlets to move to a new stadium and sell their current ground for housing development. The information sheet stated that, due to delays caused by

4032-514: The return of Jonathan Davies from France. Fly-half Rhys Patchell was signed from Cardiff Blues , with Steven Shingler moving in the opposite direction. The season started poorly, with the Scarlets losing their first three matches. Improvements throughout the season saw the Scarlets finish in third place in the table, qualifying for the play-offs. The Scarlets beat Leinster away at the RDS Stadium, 27–15, despite winger Steff Evans being sent off in

4104-447: The season. The season began poorly for the Scarlets, winning only one URC match prior to the international window. Wales prop Sam Wainwright joined midseason, with Samson Lee remaining sidelined with a long-term injury. Upon regrouping, fortunes had changed, with the team winning both matches in the first two rounds of the 2022–23 EPCR Challenge Cup pool stage, putting themselves at the top of their pool. They then beat Bayonne and

4176-406: The second half, the final score being 40 to 13, making Biarritz back-to-back winners. In the 2006–07 Heineken Cup Biarritz won all six of their pool games, topping their group with 29 points. They met fellow pool team Northampton Saints at Estadio Anoeta in the quarter-finals: Northampton upset Biarritz 8–7. In 2010, after finishing atop their pool, Biarritz defeated Ospreys and Munster, both at

4248-452: The site. On 28 November 2006, the regions secured investment from Tim Griffiths, a London-based businessman. In the 2006–07 Heineken Cup , the Scarlets recorded one of the most famous victories in their brief history as a region, defeating Toulouse 41–34 away, despite twice trailing by 21 points. This was an unexpected victory, despite the Scarlets having won their first three games of the 2006–07 competition. They later secured their place in

4320-471: The start of the 2008–09 rugby season to more accurately represent the area covered by the region. From 2003 to the 2007–08 season, the Scarlets played most of their home matches at Llanelli's Stradey Park (also the home of Llanelli RFC). However, they have played several games in North Wales, at Wrexham 's Racecourse Ground , to promote the region's geographical representation. The last league game played at

4392-430: The success in the Challenge Cup, in the 1999–00 season, they also won the Coupe de France for the first time since 1937, defeating CA Brive 24–13 in the final. Biarritz also earned qualification for the Heineken Cup. The club finished at the top of their pool In the Heineken Cup, but were eliminated by Irish team Munster, losing 38–29 in the quarter-finals at Thomond Park. In the 2001–02 Heineken Cup Biarritz did not make

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4464-479: The top of their pool standings, they were quarter-finalists, but lost to Leinster 18–13 at Lansdowne Road in Dublin. The 2003–04 Heineken Cup was the best-ever for Biarritz, as they made it to the semi-finals for the first time. They finished at the top of their pool and defeated the Llanelli Scarlets in the quarter-finals. They lost to fellow French club Toulouse 19–11 in the semi-finals. In 2004–05 Biarritz dropped only

4536-433: The two clubs met in the final again, with Biarritz coming out as the better club on the day, winning six points to nil, and claiming the second national championship. But for almost 50 years, Biarritz was not going to feature prominently in the French league. It was not until the late 1980s that BO, as it is nicknamed, was going to reach the top again. In 1989 Biarritz contested their first Challenge Yves du Manoir final since

4608-524: The venue. The 2006–07 quarter-final against Northampton was also played there. In the 2009–10 Top 14 season , Biarritz took two league matches to the Anoeta—their home leg of the Northern Basque derby against Bayonne , and a home match against fellow traditional power Toulouse . They also played both of their knockout matches leading up to the 2010 Heineken Cup final at the Anoeta, defeating Ospreys in

4680-541: The year 2006, they made it to the Heineken Cup final where they met Munster. Although they lost their first pool game to the Saracens, Biarritz won the remaining matches and finished at the top of their pool, and defeated English clubs Sale and Bath in the finals to make the final. They lost the compelling game 19–23. They were, however, able to make it to the final of the 2005–06 Top 14 , where they met Toulouse. Biarritz led nine points to six at half time but stormed to victory in

4752-411: Was an 18–16 Celtic League defeat to Munster on 28 November 2008. Their first Heineken Cup match at Parc y Scarlets was held on 12 December against Ulster and finished in a 16–16 draw. Both matches were held with reduced capacity, as law requires that a new stadium hold three events at reduced capacity before it is authorised for its full capacity. The official opening ceremony was on 31 January 2009, when

4824-586: Was announced as Warren Gatland 's successor as Wales coach after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. With him left Stephen Jones and Byron Hayward, who joined Pivac on the Wales coaching staff. Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar was announced as the next head coach in December 2018. In 2018, the Welsh Rugby Union sought to reform club rugby in Wales. Salaries had increased as they worked to entice Welsh players abroad to return, and they aimed to streamline costs with

4896-450: Was former New Zealand U20 back row Taine Plumtree , who qualified for Wales and was quickly called up to the Welsh squad for World Cup preparations. Added to the restructured Scarlets academy were lock Ed Scragg, and Loughborough duo Charlie Titcombe and Teddy Leatherbarrow. Clermont coach Jared Payne signed as the new attack coach, with Lions coach Albert van den Berg joining as

4968-452: Was not the first time a west Wales super club had been mooted; during the 2003 formation of regional rugby, a combination of the Llanelli, Swansea, and Neath forming a unified club was initially proposed. The new combined club would play league matches at Parc y Scarlets, with European fixtures at the Ospreys' Liberty Stadium . Shortly after the proposal was revealed, Scarlets ownership indicated

5040-499: Was officially launched on 7 July 2003. Despite always having been a 100% owned Llanelli RFC subsidiary, the Scarlets were originally conceived as representing the whole of West and North Wales. In the early seasons of regional rugby, the Scarlets played a small number of games at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. While nominally continuing to be the regional franchisee for North Wales, the Scarlets presence there has diminished. As of 2018,

5112-601: Was released early to return home to New Zealand, joining the Crusaders as cover for former Scarlet Leigh Halfpenny. Notably, former Scarlets and Wales captain Ken Owens retired prior to the end of the season, having spent his entire professional career with the club. Also departing the club were two more capped British Lions: Jonathan Davies and Wyn Jones ; Welsh international Scott Williams ; and academy products Dan Jones and Ryan Conbeer . The Scarlets took their name from

5184-602: Was replaced by Nigel Davies after a sixth-place finish in the Celtic League and an end of season slump. The Scarlets moved from Stradey Park at the end of November 2008 to a new ground at Pemberton called Parc y Scarlets . The final Scarlets match played at Stradey Park was on 24 October 2008, against Bristol in the group stage of the Anglo-Welsh Cup. The Scarlets won 27–0 in front of a capacity crowd, which included former Llanelli captains such as Delme Thomas and Phil Bennett . The Scarlets' first match at their new home

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