Parc Y Scarlets
Rugby
URC
Llanelli
Score:
39.5
Overview
Visiting Parc Y Scarlets in the 2025/26 season is a strange proposition given the prevailing mood of uncertainty around the club’s future as, despite the WRU’s statements to the contrary, Scarlets appear to be in a two-way competition with Ospreys to take the slot allotted to west Wales in the union’s proposed three-team structure. Added to that, the game I watched took place mere hours after the national side had been thrashed 73-0 by South Africa at the Principality, meaning perhaps even those truly dedicated supporters who might have attempted to dash home from Cardiff to see their club may have been too dispirited to brave the wind and rain. It’s sad to see one of the larger club rugby grounds in the UK so sparsely occupied, but the few who have made it to see their team cruise to a 23-0 victory over a lacklustre Glasgow side generate enough noise to make the stands seem much more populous than they really are. Parc Y Scarlets also feels like a bastion of Welsh culture, with announcements made in Welsh before English, Welsh choir music played over the PA, and Welsh language songs sung by the crowd (many of whom also converse in Welsh throughout the match). If it is the Scarlets who end up on the WRU’s cutting room floor, or if they are forced into a merger with the Ospreys, something more than just a rugby club will be lost. Take the chance to experience it while you still can.
Score Summaries
Atmosphere & Experience: 8.5
Even if the stands are dishearteningly empty, there is a palpable pride and passion in the team amongst those fans who are still turning up despite all the grim news coming from the WRU and Scarlets’ URC struggles in recent years. Their chants, cheers, and songs are roared with enough vigour to fill the many vacant seats. The prominence of the Welsh language in the announcements, music, and conversation around the ground are a demonstration that Scarlets seek to be about more than just rugby. These days, though, perhaps it’s the advocates for Welsh culture that need to preserve rugby’s place in the national consciousness rather than rugby that needs to try to keep Welsh language and traditions alive. Sitting in this windswept stadium with its dwindling congregation, one feels like something vital and unique has only a tenuous grip left on survival. Part of what stands to be lost is a singular spectator experience, even if what I witnessed was a much-diminished version of what one might expect in a Parc Y Scarlets packed with dedicated fans watching a successful side with a bright future.
Seats: 9
£37 for a seat right on the halfway line with a commanding view of the whole playing area is extremely cheap by pro rugby standards. The structure of the stadium is such that there are very, very few seats with any kind of restricted view. All stands are covered, so you’ll have at least a degree of protection from the elements no matter where you sit.
Catering: 6.5
Prior to the game, join the crowds in the Tanner Banc bar for a decent selection of drinks and a lesson in the history of the Scarlets and their ancestor clubs thanks to the many facts, records, and figures painted on the walls. If you’re cold - and you probably will be - opt for a pasty from the Celtic Pie Co., whose marketing says it all: ‘our pasties are proper tidy like’. Besides pasties, your choices are limited to suspect hot dogs, unappetising nachos, and Bovril. So just get a pasty. One benefit of limited attendance figures is that you’re unlikely to have to queue for long at any of the bars or concessions.
Facilities: 6.5
Completely acceptable. Minimal queuing, although you’d likely accept the trade-off of having a bigger crowd meaning a longer wait.
Getting There: 5
Llanelli gives the impression of being quite a dispersed town, dominated by the beach and a couple of large shopping centres. Parc Y Scarlets is located close to one of those big retail parks found on the outskirts of large towns around the UK. Drive there or take a taxi if you can because public transport options are limited. If you’re staying in Llanelli overnight and the game is the main attraction for you, consider staying in the Sessile Oak, a Marstons pub and inn a roughly 10-minute walk from the ground because it may save you some logistical hassle.
Getting Away: 4
If you have managed to drive, expect to wait a while to get out of any of the nearby car parks. If you’re taking public transport, you may have to wait a while due to the relative infrequency of buses and the potential for queues.