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A renamed piece of the Principality Stadium will forever honour Warren Gatland

Warren Gatland greets local school children in Penarth this week ahead of the Barbarians versus Wales match (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images for Barbarians)

Warren Gatland will soon be gone from Wales but he will never be forgotten at the Principality Stadium as the ground’s main vehicle entrance – gate four – will now be known as “Gatland’s Gate”.

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Gatland served Wales over a twelve-year period and will say farewell on Saturday when he coaches the Barbarians against a Welsh side now coached by Wayne Pivac. 

He is Wales’ longest-serving head coach having reigned twice as long as his nearest rival Clive Rowlands, who completed six years in the hot seat from 1968 to 1974, and his achievement of three Grand Slams is only matched by the famous side of the 1970s (which won three Slams but under different coaches) and the team from the first ‘golden era’ which won in 1908, 1909 and 1911 (when the head coach role had not yet been conceived). 

“This building will always be a very special place for me,” said Gatland about Principality Stadium. “It evokes a host of wonderful memories and has been the location for some of my very best days in rugby. 

“It embodies all the emotion that goes with winning big games, but also the hard work, dedication and passion of everyone involved at every stage from players to staff and to my own family and to the fans themselves.

(Continue reading below…)

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“This a hugely unexpected honour and one that I am humbled by. I’d like to thank all the staff at the union, the players, my fellow coaches and back room staff and everyone throughout Welsh rugby for their passion, respect and belief over the last twelve years.”  

‘Gatland’s Gate’ guards the main access route to Principality Stadium. Situated on the east side of the ground, it services Westgate Street and sits between the newly WRU-owned Westgate Hotel and the WRU shop and tours office.

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The sign, which gives equal prominence to both the Welsh and English language, will be replaced in the long term by an integrated and elaborate design which will form an integral part of the gates themselves, but the entrance will be known as ‘Gatland’s Gate’ with immediate effect. 

Gatland poses
Warren Gatland stands outside the gate at the Principality Stadium that has been renamed in his honour (Photo by WRU)

“This is a small tribute of our appreciation for Warren, a token of the high esteem in which he is held throughout Welsh rugby,” explained WRU CEO Martyn Phillips

“He will always be remembered as the coach who brought home a hat-trick of Grand Slams but, beyond the silverware, he also firmly re-established our Wales side as a major force in the world game. 

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“He has re-invigorated a level of pride and respect for our national sport not so keenly felt since the likes of the great Clive Rowlands and John Dawes oversaw their own halcyon period 40 years and more ago.  

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“We will move on and our national team will continue to strive for success and, I have no doubt, achieve great things under our new head coach Wayne Pivac, but Warren’s entry in the history books can never be re-written.  

“He will go down in legend as one of the all-time greats and we hope that ‘Gatland’s Gate’ does something to show him the strength of gratitude felt by an entire nation of rugby fans.”

WATCH: Warren Gatland on what it will be like taking on his old team Wales this weekend as Barbarians coach

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fl 1 hour ago
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“A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”

Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.


“The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”

I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.


“Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”

I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.


“The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”

I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!

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J
JW 5 hours ago
French bid to poach 109kg 17-year-old dual-code Aussie prospect Heinz Lemoto

Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.


They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).


That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).

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