Sir Gareth Edwards – arguably rugby’s greatest ever player – has been honoured today with the renaming of a stand at the iconic Arms Park.
As preparations for Cardiff Rugby’s 150th season continue, the club have renamed the north stand the Sir Gareth Edwards Stand, sponsored by RSK, as part of a season of celebrations.
A portrait of the legendary scrum-half, by acclaimed artist Nicholas J Smith, was also unveiled, as an exhibition of the club’s history and a new book was launched.
Cardiff Rugby managing director, Jamie Muir, said: “We have been talking of renaming the north stand for some time and it made perfect sense to do so in our sesquicentennial season. We are very grateful to RSK for supporting us with this project.
“To have Sir Gareth and his good friend, the late Peter Thomas, opposite each other in our stands and next to each other in the trophy room is incredibly poignant.
“This is a brilliant way to continue the celebrations of our 150th season and to recognise the contribution and legacy of one of our greatest ever players.
“Sir Gareth is an inspiration to everyone at Cardiff Rugby and remains a regular at the Arms Park. He is a true gentleman and someone we all look up to as an example of what it means to represent this great club both on and off the pitch.”
A one club man
During an illustrious career, in which Edwards starred for Wales, the British & Irish Lions and Barbarians, he was also a one club man. He made 195 appearances across 12 seasons for the Blue & Blacks, scoring 67 tries.
RSK have been long-standing supporters of Cardiff Rugby, initially through their Cardiff-based environmental services company MSS Group.
As principal partner, the RSK Group logo has adorned the front of Cardiff kits since 2023 and they have been key in driving the club’s sustainability ambitions.
From working closely with RSK and group business Nature Positive, the Blue & Blacks are now on the verge of launching a new sustainability strategy – Forward Cardiff: From Pitch to Planet – to protect the next 150 years.
A great of the game with a passion for the environment
Wayne Mumford, Director of Sport and Leisure at RSK, said: “It is an absolute honour and privilege for us at RSK to support the renaming of the stand at Cardiff Arms Park.
“Not only is Gareth one of the greats of the game but he is someone who is incredibly passionate about the environment and whose values align closely with our own.
“To honour such an iconic player at his home ground, alongside the RSK brand is a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved.
“We are proud to sponsor Cardiff as Principal Partners and wish them the very best for their sesquicentennial season, while we continue to support them for the next generation.”
The renaming of the stand took place on Tuesday as heritage took centre stage at the Arms Park.
With the club’s Sesquicentennial Season underway, a meticulously detailed oil painting of Edwards was unveiled by acclaimed portrait artist Nicholas J Smith who has also immortalised Peter Thomas with brushstrokes on canvas in the trophy room.
A new exhibition celebrating the history of Cardiff Rugby was officially opened by Edwards before the launch of “Cardiff Rugby Club 1876-2026, 150 Years”.
