The most popular sports in Wales are rugby union, cricket and football. Like the other countries of the United Kingdom, Wales enjoys independent representation in major world sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and in the Commonwealth Games, but competes as part of England (and Wales) in Cricket and Great Britain in many others, including the Olympics.
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and the Wales national football team with a capacity of 74,500. It was the temporary location for English football and rugby league finals during the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium.
The Sports Council for Wales is responsible for sport in Wales.
Football
The governing body for football in Wales is the Football Association of Wales. It runs the national teams, the recreational game and the main cup competitions.
Wales has its own top-flight, the Welsh Premier League, and has done so since 1992, but for historical reasons, six Welsh clubs (Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham, Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil and Colwyn Bay) play in the English Football League and its feeder leagues. The main Welsh Cup competitions are the Welsh Cup and the FAW Premier Cup.
The two feeder leagues into the Welsh Premiership are the Cymru Alliance in the north, and the Welsh Football League in the south.
Rugby Union
As in New Zealand, rugby union is popular (although football is the preferred sport in North Wales). The Encyclopedia of Wales describes the sport as "seen by many as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness".[1]
The professional era has seen major and controversial changes in the traditional structure of club rugby in Wales. Wales now shares a single top flight rugby structure with Scotland and Ireland, the Magners League. Wales is represented by four regional teams that also take part in the Heineken Cup, the European Challenge Cup, and the EDF Energy Cup against teams from England.
The Welsh national rugby union team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship, and the Rugby World Cup.
Boxing
Wales has always had a strong connection with the sport of boxing, particularly in the South Wales Valleys, with fighters such as Tommy Farr, Freddie Welsh, Jim Driscoll, Dai Dower and Johnny Owen all competing at the highest level. Joe Calzaghe, born in London to a Welsh mother and Italian father and raised in Newbridge, retired in 2009 as an unbeaten world champion. Other former world champions include Enzo Maccarinelli, Gavin Rees, Howard Winstone, Jimmy Wilde, Steve Robinson and Robbie Regan.
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and the Wales national football team with a capacity of 74,500. It was the temporary location for English football and rugby league finals during the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium.
The Sports Council for Wales is responsible for sport in Wales.
Football
The governing body for football in Wales is the Football Association of Wales. It runs the national teams, the recreational game and the main cup competitions.
Wales has its own top-flight, the Welsh Premier League, and has done so since 1992, but for historical reasons, six Welsh clubs (Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham, Newport County, Merthyr Tydfil and Colwyn Bay) play in the English Football League and its feeder leagues. The main Welsh Cup competitions are the Welsh Cup and the FAW Premier Cup.
The two feeder leagues into the Welsh Premiership are the Cymru Alliance in the north, and the Welsh Football League in the south.
Rugby Union
As in New Zealand, rugby union is popular (although football is the preferred sport in North Wales). The Encyclopedia of Wales describes the sport as "seen by many as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness".[1]
The professional era has seen major and controversial changes in the traditional structure of club rugby in Wales. Wales now shares a single top flight rugby structure with Scotland and Ireland, the Magners League. Wales is represented by four regional teams that also take part in the Heineken Cup, the European Challenge Cup, and the EDF Energy Cup against teams from England.
The Welsh national rugby union team takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship, and the Rugby World Cup.
Boxing
Wales has always had a strong connection with the sport of boxing, particularly in the South Wales Valleys, with fighters such as Tommy Farr, Freddie Welsh, Jim Driscoll, Dai Dower and Johnny Owen all competing at the highest level. Joe Calzaghe, born in London to a Welsh mother and Italian father and raised in Newbridge, retired in 2009 as an unbeaten world champion. Other former world champions include Enzo Maccarinelli, Gavin Rees, Howard Winstone, Jimmy Wilde, Steve Robinson and Robbie Regan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBnXVtAw70c
