Sandy Water Park
Residents' Association, Llanelli
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This Association is now dissolved
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Llanelli Scarlets' Goal Posts at Sandy Water Park
Sandy Water Park has become the new home to one half of the pair of goal posts which once stood at Stradey Rugby ground, home to Llanelli RFC and more recently the Scarlets.
Alongside the post is a sculpture (designed by Llanelli cartoonist Roger Lewis and made at the Carmarthenshire Tumble Forge) showing Phil Bennett * sidestepping a New Zealand All Black’s player to score a try.
The sculpture was unveiled by 87yr old Peter Rees, the oldest surviving Llanelli RFC player, in August 2013.
In October 2008, Llanelli Scarlets, the world-famous rugby team, relocated to their new ground, Parc y Scarlets from the infamous Stradey Park. The new stadium is located on the outskirts of town, near to Trostre Works and Parc Trostre Retail Park.
To the dismay of many, the old rugby ground, Stradey Park, which is only a good goal kick from Sandy Water Park, off Sandy Road, was sold for housing; over 300 homes in total!
There was much discussion about what should happen to the old Stradey goal posts, and it was decided to erect one set on the Bynea Berwick roundabout (the eastern gateway to Llanelli) and the other at Sandy Water Park. The posts would serve as a memorial, not only to the infamous Stradey Park but also to perhaps the most famous game at Stradey when Llanelli RFC beat the 'unbeatable' All Blacks 9 - 3, on the 31st of October 1972 - described as ‘one of the most enthralling and skilful games of rugby ever played‘.
Phil Bennett and Peter Rees at the unveiling ceremony at Sandy Water Park, 3rd August 2013.
Official images, on loan from, and with thanks to: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd.
Top: The Stradey goal posts and statues at Sandy Water Park
Above: Cor Meibion, Llanelli, sing at the unveiling of the statue.
Below: An aerial image of Stradey Rugby ground and those infamous posts, before its demolition. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
The game was played in front of 20,000 people (see picture left) everyone was given half a day off and everything, bar the public houses, were closed. It was reported that after the win, every single pub in Llanelli was drunk dry.
(Note the mixture of men, women and children, the absence of barriers, the single Police officer and the fact that fans from both sides were not separated, which is still so today.)
The famous scoreboard showing
Llanelli 9 - 3 New Zealand 'All Blacks'
* Phil Bennett was born in Felinfoel on the 24th of October 1948. He was a Welsh international fly half from 1969 - 1978, he was a firm favourite with the crowds due to his incredible skill, flair and range of tricks including his famous sidestep (represented in the sculpture) and swerve, it is said that it was due to these skills he was very rarely tackled. He retired in 1978 having won 29 caps. In November 2005 he was admitted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame and in 2007 into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.
By Rod James
Image by Tony Rees