Rugby days are now a disco, says retiring stadium announcer

The pre-match entertainment has changed under the roof at the Principality Stadium - but has it turned into a disco?

Rugby match days in Cardiff need to be "more Welsh" and not "some kind of disco", believes the retiring stadium announcer.

Iestyn Garlick, 73, will hang up his microphone after Saturday's match between Wales and world champions South Africa at the Principality Stadium.

His 35-year career has seen him cover hundreds of matches, firstly at the old National Stadium, and then the newly built Millennium Stadium, which replaced it in 1999.

But he has seen many changes and believes many traditions, such as a live band and hymns, have been lost from the matchday experience.

"The atmosphere has changed significantly since the old Arms Park, where you just had a band and the leader conducting the crowd," he said.

"Now, technology has allowed for all the lights and it's turned into some kind of disco with lights flashing everywhere. But it's not very Welsh.

"I don't mean that it's anti-Welsh or un-Welsh. Keep it lively and young and all that - but a little more than a nod at Wales, we should be Welsh."

There were new slants on old ideas ahead of the Wales versus New Zealand match, with DJs The Stickmen Project playing a dance version of Sosban Fach

While the prominence of traditional Welsh songs such as Calon Lan, Cwm Rhondda and Gwahoddiad on matchday may have changed, so have the team's fortunes.

Just like in the early 1990s, Mr Garlick has witnessed a difficult period for the team in recent times, with victories in Cardiff hard to come by.

But there have been many high points, including the Grand Slam in 2005 - Wales' first since the 1970s.

"It was a wonderful day in Cardiff, the place was buzzing and you knew we were going to win," Mr Garlick said.

"The whole script was in place, the actors were in their positions, although Ireland had tried their best to tear the script apart, they failed and we had a wonderful day."

He also recalls a nerve-wracking moment when announcing the scorer of a significant try, adding: "There's one story I tell very often.

"There was a prize of £1,000 for whoever scored the first try in the [Millennium] stadium and the very first game we played happened to be against South Africa [in 1999].

"Everyone knows by now that Mark Taylor was the one who got that first try. But I announced with pride that it was Allan Bateman.

"There's a reason for that – I didn't have a television, there wasn't a big screen in the stadium, he scored at the other end of the Cardiff pitch and all I saw was number 12 crossing the line.

"I looked at my programme and saw number 12, Allan Bateman. No-one had told me that Allan Bateman and Mark Taylor had swapped shirts."

Iestyn Garlick has been the stadium announcer since the Millennium Stadium - now called the Principality Stadium - opened in 1999

Swansea-born Mr Garlick has also had a long career as an actor, appearing in many productions in both the Welsh and English languages.

Reflecting on the current difficulties the national rugby team has experienced, he said: "I've been part of the highs and we've gone to the lows.

"There's no doubt, the 15 who will be on the field on Saturday will do their utmost to give a game to the opposition as we did last week against New Zealand."

As he prepares for his final announcing shift, he said it was the right time to call it a day.

"I won't be leaving with any regrets because I'm quite happy to bring things to a close," Mr Garlick added.

"It's been a long enough period and I feel I've done my bit, keeping the Welsh going, and the voice is still in fairly good condition.

"I'd like to leave with people thinking 'pity he's gone' rather than 'pity he won't go'."