Plans for a state-of-the-art sporting facility for football and rugby has been announced at a special media conference in Ystrad Mynach, Wales.

WRU Chief Executive Roger Lewis and Cardiff City Football Club's Scott Young joined the leader of Caerphilly Council, Cllr Allan Pritchard along with other key sporting representatives to unveil the project and explain its significance in promoting sport in the region.

"This is a unique opportunity for the council to provide a Centre for Sporting Excellence and Community Development that could be amongst the best in the country. In determining the use of the former Ystrad Mynach hospital site following the opening Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, the council has put forward this exciting proposal to potential partners and they have been eager to see this mature into fully fledged business case," said Cllr Allan Pritchard, Leader of the Council & Constitutional Affairs.

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The council will take possession of the site from mid February 2012. It is proposed to create two 3rd Generation (3G) artificial playing surfaces to support both football & rugby, supported by an exceptional level of infrastructure. The pitches/lighting/stands/terracing and car parking will be constructed to the highest standards and meet the exacting requirements of the sport's governing bodies.

The facility will, unusually, be both exclusive and inclusive. It will be exclusive in that it offers the possibilities of matches at the highest level being played together with high class performance training and sport science facilities. It will provide many of the training requirements of elite sportsmen and women in one single venue. It will also be inclusive as it will be used by the whole community – enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities.

(CD/GK)