Key Points
- Cardiff Rugby has launched a new partnership with Keep Wales Tidy.
- Cardiff Arms Park will become a Caru Cymru Litter Picking Hub.
- The initiative sits within Cardiff Rugby’s sustainability strategy, “Forward Cardiff: From Pitch to Planet.”
- Individuals, businesses and community groups will be able to sign up and collect litter-picking equipment from Arms Park.
- Keep Wales Tidy said the partnership aims to help make Cardiff “a cleaner, greener, safer city.”
- Cardiff Rugby said the hub can support community action, teamwork and wellbeing as well as environmental clean-up.
- Staff from Cardiff Rugby have already taken part in litter-picking activity, including collecting more than 25 bags of rubbish around the Arms Park area.
- Forward Cardiff is due to be launched at the Arms Park on September 3.
- Keep Wales Tidy said the broader Big Cardiff Tidy campaign runs from September 18 to October 4.
Cardiff Rugby (Wales Times) July 31, 2026 — uk/sports/cardiff-rugby/">Cardiff Rugby has announced a new partnership with Keep Wales Tidy that will see the Arms Park used as a Caru Cymru Litter Picking Hub. As reported by the club, the partnership forms part of its sustainability strategy, “Forward Cardiff: From Pitch to Planet,” which it says sharpens its focus on climate, nature and people.
Cardiff Rugby’s partnership with Keep Wales Tidy signals a practical new role for Cardiff Arms Park in local environmental action, with the stadium set to operate as a litter-picking hub for the community. The move is part of the club’s wider sustainability strategy and comes as both organisations highlight the scale of litter challenges in Wales.
The club said the hub will allow individuals, businesses and community groups to sign up and collect the equipment they need to take part in litter picks safely. In the announcement, Cardiff Rugby described the initiative as another step in its effort to create a positive impact beyond the pitch.
Why is the Arms Park being used?
The Arms Park has been chosen as a central point for volunteers to collect and return litter-picking kit. Keep Wales Tidy says its Litter Picking Hubs are designed so organisations and communities can borrow equipment for free, subject to health and safety guidance and a quick risk assessment.
As reported by Gareth Davies, Keep Wales Tidy Project Officer for Cardiff, the partnership is intended to give volunteers a simple way to take part. He said the hub would help people
“pick up the equipment and help make a difference to our communities.”
What did the two organisations say?
Keep Wales Tidy said the deal is about more than one-off clean-ups. Gareth Davies said Cardiff Rugby shares values with the charity and can use its profile to encourage more people to take part in local environmental work.
Jamie Muir, Cardiff Rugby managing director, said the club was “delighted” to make Cardiff Arms Park an official Keep Wales Tidy litter-picking hub. He said businesses, community groups and individuals would be welcome to get involved, and added that the venue could become a starting and finishing point for clean-up activity, with people collecting kit, heading out to litter-pick and returning afterwards.
Muir also said the first litter-pick had involved about 30 staff and had helped colleagues connect in a new setting. He said the project is intended to support not only the city and environment, but also teamwork and wellbeing.
How much litter is the partnership addressing?
Keep Wales Tidy used the announcement to underline the scale of the litter problem in Wales. The charity said Wales is facing a litter emergency, with a recent estimate of 16,422,787 items of litter polluting the nation.
The organisation said litter affects the environment, wildlife, wellbeing, health and perceptions of safety. It also said Cardiff’s overall cleanliness indicator score was 64.7 in Keep Wales Tidy surveys, with 83.3% of streets meeting an acceptable level of cleanliness, although inner-city wards continue to face serious litter and fly-tipping pressures.
The club also said its staff had already helped remove more than 25 bags of rubbish from streets, public spaces and parks around the Arms Park during a recent clean-up effort.
What happens next?
Cardiff Rugby said Forward Cardiff will be launched at the Arms Park on September 3, with further projects with Keep Wales Tidy already being planned. The club also gave contact details for people interested in joining a litter pick from Cardiff Arms Park.
Keep Wales Tidy said the timing is significant because the Big Cardiff Tidy campaign is due to run from September 18 to October 4, creating a wider window for volunteers and communities to get involved in clean-up activity across the city.
Background of the development
Cardiff Rugby has been increasing its off-field sustainability work as part of a broader trend among sports clubs using their venues and influence for community projects. In this case, the partnership builds on Keep Wales Tidy’s Caru Cymru programme, which supports litter-picking hubs, community groups, Litter Champions and clean-up campaigns across Wales.
Keep Wales Tidy says its hub model is designed to make participation easier by providing kit such as litter pickers, high-vis vests, rubbish bags and hoops. The idea is that local groups can borrow the equipment they need, complete the required safety steps and then carry out organised clean-ups in their area.
Prediction
For local residents, community groups and businesses, the partnership is likely to make organised litter-picking more accessible because the Arms Park offers a recognisable central point for equipment collection and return. For Cardiff Rugby supporters, it may also strengthen the club’s public image as a community-focused organisation, while giving matchday visitors and local volunteers a clearer route into environmental activity.
For Cardiff more broadly, the initiative could help support ongoing clean-up efforts, particularly if it encourages repeat participation rather than one-off events. Its longer-term impact will depend on how many people sign up, how regularly the hub is used and whether the partnership leads to more local action beyond the initial launch.
