Principality Stadium begins decommissioning process from field hospital

Principality Stadium was one of the field hospitals created to help the NHS cope with the coronavirus pandemic

Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chairman Gareth Davies says the Principality Stadium has started to be decommissioned from a field hospital.

Wales national rugby ground was turned into the Dragons Heart hospital as part of the fight against coronavirus.

Davies is confident Six Nations 2021 home matches against England and Ireland can be staged as planned.

"I am probably more optimistic than I was a couple of weeks ago," said Davies.

"We are looking at decommissioning the stadium from the autumn. Parts of the stadium on level four and five have already been decommissioned and we have been talking with contractors about reinstating bars and suites.

"The only beds in the stadium are within the bowl and the pitch area so that will be the last to be decommissioned towards the end of October and early November.

"This means we can get on with replacing the seating that has been taken out and the important factor of getting the pitch done."

The 1,500-bed £8m facility at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff was the only field hospital to treat patients in Wales.

The WRU have ruled out hosting any events for the rest of 2020.

Wales are looking for a home ground to play their Six Nations match against Scotland on 31 October and host two games in the new-look eight nations tournament in November against Fiji and England.

Davies says all London stadiums, including Twickenham and Premier League football grounds such as the West Ham and Tottenham's venues, remain in contention if crowds are allowed.

The Rugby Football Union says 20,000 fans could be allowed into Twickenham to watch England play Barbarians on 25 October but there has been no indication from the Welsh Government yet about anything comparable.

"It is encouraging if crowds will be allowed (at Twickenham)," said Davies.

"We were all along with the RFU hoping for possibly more but the government stance is not just about the stadium, it's about other factors like access and transport.

"Whether that will be relaxed with be decided by government guidelines."

The WRU need the income from international matches to help the governing body survive with a £20m loan still being sought.

"The whole financial pictures is challenging and uncertain," said Davies.

"We are close to securing a loan but it's not just the one party we are talking to. We are talking to our bank, World Rugby so there is a bigger picture and we are not going to one well.

"We are going to a number of stakeholders. It is going in the right direction and I am confident we can secure the finances required over the next couple of weeks."

Pragmatic view

Finance director Steve Phillips will become the group's new interim chief executive to replace the departing Martyn Phillips.

Davies describes Phillips as the pragmatic choice.

"There were a lot of interesting potential candidates," said Davies.

"We took the pragmatic view of where we are right in the middle of a major unprecedented crisis that is affecting and Steve is the man for now."

Davies explained the interim tag was attached because there could be a new chairman installed later this year.

Davies is standing to be a National council member for a third term against former Wales internationals Nigel Davies and Ieuan Evans.

Steve Phillips joined the Welsh Rugby Union in 2007

Failure to be re-elected could result in Davies losing the chairman position he has held since 2014.

"There is another important factor, there could be a new chairman in a month's time," said Davies.

"If I was a new chairman I would like to be part of the decision-making process about who the new chief executive would be.

"We got to the position to have a safe pair of hands on the tiller until there is more clarity and certainty on the road ahead.

"We are mindful of other sweeping changes that could happen."

If he wins the election, Davies has offered himself to be chairman for a third term on a temporary basis as he pushes himself as the stability candidate.

"I'm standing for continuity, consistency, strength, stability and normality at a time when evolution could quickly turn to revolution, just a step away from imbalance, disruption and potential unrest," added Davies.