Cardiff Blues play first home match at Rodney Parade

Cardiff Blues played Ospreys at Rodney Parade on 30 August

Cardiff Blues will play the opening "home" fixture of the 2020-21 season at Rodney Parade.

The Arms Park remains part of Dragon's Heart Hospital at the Principality Stadium, so the Blues will host Connacht in Newport on Saturday, 10 October.

The Blues defeated Ospreys 29-20 in Newport on 30 August in the final match of the 2019-20 season.

More Blues matches could be played away from the Arms Park.

The pitch playing surface is being assessed with the region due to host Ulster on 2 November, Benetton on 16 November and Glasgow on 29 November.

They are due to have one Challenge Cup home match in December before hosting local derbies against Ospreys and Scarlets in early January.

Dragons chairman David Buttress says his region are happy to help Cardiff Blues again at a ground they also share with Newport County.

"The Cardiff Blues are very welcome and if we can help we're happy to do it," said Buttress.

"The (Rodney Parade) pitch would normally have been a challenge but because of Covid there's no Newport RFC fixtures in the Welsh Premiership so we have effectively lost all their home games, which has created a bit of a gap.

"The pitch has had a good rest with no games until recently, so we're able to cope through managing the diary correctly and also having a fantastic operational team that run Rodney Parade.

"I think we are the busiest professional sports ground in Britain terms of fixtures, but they do a phenomenal job and and are able to absorb the Cardiff Blues fixtures."