Enhanced security measures are in place at Principality Stadium which means 74,500 supporters must pass through turnstiles in a three hour period – from gates opening at 11.15am – and, put simply, around half that number must be seated in the first 90 minutes of opening in order to ensure everyone gets in for kick-off.
Supporters have decided, via an online poll, that the classic match played out ‘as-live’ on the big screens and concourses from first arrival on Saturday morning will be the game pundits called ‘…the greatest comeback in Welsh rugby history’ – Wales’ dramatic 31-24 victory over Scotland in the 2010 Championship.
And, once Shane Williams has completed a Welsh fightback from 10 points down with 75 minutes on the clock – courtesy of a Stephen Jones cross kick, a fortunate bounce and Leigh Halfpenny’s safe hands – OMA singers make their return to Cardiff for the first time since playing at the UEFA Champions League final in 2017.
Only Men Aloud’s David Fortey, Steffan Rhys Hughes, Niall Allen and Huw Euron have the task of following Shane and the 2010 side soon after midday and will sing classic songs from U2, Tears for Fears and John Farnum as well as favourite rugby hymns and a unique nod to Welsh music royalty Tom Jones.
Entertainment on Stadium concourses has also been ramped up with Merthyr singer/songwriter Jack Mason, Rhondda band The Pitchforks and South-Wales indie-folk band Ofelia all performing.
The usual guest choirs will also feature during the day too with the Blaenavon Male Voice Choir and Côr y Penrhyn taking centre stage alongside the Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh.
“To allow for the increased security checks, we have doubled the amount of time that the stadium is open prior to kick-off, from 90 minutes to three hours, and broadcast this message as widely as possible,” said Principality Stadium manager Mark Williams.
“We have worked things out to the finest detail, we know we can get everyone in safely and securely and ensure they don’t miss a minute of the game, but we need supporters to help us.
“To make things run smoothly we’d like to process more than 30,000 fans in the first hour-and-a-half of gates opening and we are delighted to be able to confirm Only Men Aloud will form part of our early pre-match entertainment as added incentive.
“It’s not something that our rugby supporters will be used to if they didn’t come to a game in the autumn, but the new security measures are here to stay and have been installed in everyone’s interests, so we are appealing to fans for their help.”
Only Men Aloud will appear twice during the pre-match schedule on Saturday and will also perform at half-time.
During the recent autumn international series supporters failed to heed warnings and missed the kick-off for Wales’ meeting with Australia, but the by the time of the final weekend of the Under Armour Series, when the All Blacks were in town, the message had successfully got through and no-one missed kick-off.
But the Scottish game brings a new dimension to the issues experienced in the autumn – a different crowd may not be aware of the need to arrive early and, perhaps most significantly, the game kicks-off at 2.15pm and so represents the first sold-out early afternoon kick-off rugby international under the new restrictions.
Gates now open at Principality Stadium at 11.15am, which is three hours before kick-off – giving double the lead in time to previous Six Nations matches – with event organisers urging supporters:
“The earlier you arrive, the quicker you’ll get in. Gates open at 11.5am… please get in early,”
Personal searches form only part of the comprehensive measures in place at the stadium, together with safety officers and South Wales Police, all entry points are continually monitored throughout the day.
South Wales Police stress there is no specific threat to Cardiff. Principality Stadium routinely works very closely with the Police and the Wales Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit to deliver appropriate security measures for all major events.
OMA – BIO
Only Men Aloud have been delighting audiences around the world for well over fifteen years injecting new life and blood into the Welsh Male Voice Choir tradition. The men have become well known for their strong vocals and their varied and eclectic repertoire. A typical OMA concert will feature many different styles of music from Welsh hymns and folksongs, Opera and Music Theatre all the way to Swing and Pop music.
Nearly ten years ago, they were named BBC One’s Last Choir Standing and this led to an album deal with Universal Records. In 2010, they won a Classical Brit Award for Best Album of the Year. OMA have toured every year since winning the show, all around the world and have worldwide record sales of over 300,000.
Over the years, the hugely popular group has built up a strong fan base across the country and were honoured to be asked to sing at the London 2012 Opening Ceremony at the very moment the Olympic Flame was lit to an estimated global TV audience of 900 million people.
OMA have given many memorable performances, with numerous appearances at outdoor festivals and proms.
They have performed twice at The Royal Variety Performance, been seen on numerous television programmes and are familiar faces at sporting events; they sang at the opening ceremony of the Ryder Cup in 2010 and the Ashes in 2015. In 2014, they undertook a highly successful tour of the USA including performances at the famous Ravinia Festival in Chicago and the North American Festival of Wales in Minneapolis.
OMA have now recorded five studio albums and plans are taking place for a sixth, later this year. They continue their busy touring and concert schedule, right across the UK and beyond. Recent engagements have included performing at The UEFA Champions League Final Celebrations in Cardiff, and a trip to Mumbai, India for the group’s first appearance in Asia.
JACK MASON
Jack Mason is an indie singer/songwriter from Merthyr Tydfil taking inspiration from 90s Britpop to modern day indie giants.
INSTAGRAM : @jackmason_1999
FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/jackmasonmusicmerthyr
THE PITCHFORKS
From the Rhondda are The Pitchforks, four best friends formed at school in Treorchy Comprehensive and have spent the past four years developing and learning together. In 2016, the boys unveiled ‘Headlock’, a indie-pop tune with snappy hooks and sensible melodies, that hint at the potential they have and we’re also featured in the South Wales Echo as ‘Ones to Watch’. With a love for playing live, writing and learning, this is a band eager to expand upon their horizons. They released their debut EP in 2017.
INSTAGRAM : @the_pitchforksuk
FACEBOOK : www.facebook.com/pg/thepitchforksuk
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/thepitchforksuk
OFELIA
Ofelia are a five-piece indie-folk band from South Wales. Ofelia’s folk instrumentation of close three part harmonies, strong rhythmic guitars, complex mandolin and solid bass focuses the variety of influences in the song writing into exciting and honest modern folk songs. Ofelia’s live performance is as intense as it is playful, and is amplified by the band’s youthful energy on stage.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ofeliaband/
JACK ELLIS
Jack Ellis is an alternative singer/songwriter from the southernmost point of South Wales who crafts real songs from real stories. Whilst his music takes influence from classic rock its alternative production values and sharp hooks. Jack released his first solo recording ‘Pocket of Lint’ in 2014, which gained significant airplay from Edith Bowman (Virgin Radio), Adam Walton (BBC Radio Wales) and Nation Radio, it also earned him a special guest appearance and live acoustic session in 2016 with Dermot O’Leary on BBC Radio 2, alongside Biffy Clyro and Simon Le Bon. In 2017 Jack started by taking home “Best Solo Artist” at Cardiff Music Awards and was chosen to play BBC Carfest North and South. Jack ended the summer with a 5 date tour of Italy after a summer full of festivals along with a gig at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho London.
INSTAGRAM: @jackellismusic
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/jackellismusic
SOUNDCLOUD: www.soundcloud.com/jackellismusicuk
