Principality Stadium welcomed Welsh Fire’s men’s cricket team to the home of Welsh rugby on Tuesday ahead of the team’s first game in The Hundred.

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The men’s team, which contains cricketers from across the globe, has been keen to embrace the fact they are representing Wales.  England stars Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton and Liam Plunkett, New Zealand’s Jimmy Neesham and Glenn Phillips and South African’s Lungi Ngidi to name a few, took a tour of Principality Stadium, where they were shown around by former Wales wing and Welsh Rugby Union Business Development Manager Rhys Williams.

Rhys Williams said, “In Wales we like our sport. These guys will feel the support of the Welsh public when they pull on that Welsh Fire shirt. It’s like a national team for us,”

The players also talked about the passion of Welsh sport with former Wales and British & Irish Lions and current Dragons centre Jamie Roberts at Sophia Gardens.  Roberts likened the challenge of The Hundred – where the teams have to come together in a short time frame and achieve success – to the current Lions tour of South Africa.

Jamie Roberts, Ex Wales International said, “The guys will be together for six or seven weeks with the common goal of winning. It’s all about coming together, bouncing ideas off each other, and going out and competing.  Hopefully they do us proud. Wales is an amazing country to represent.”

Welsh Fire fast bowler Plunkett, who was part of England’s World Cup-winning side in 2019, said: “I like Cardiff and we’ve been successful with England here, but it’s nice to feel the Welsh passion and we spoke to some greats of the Welsh game at Principality Stadium. It’s a great stadium.”

“I watch international rugby when England play, but it’s not something I watch all the time so it was nice to get an insight into those guys and their profession.”

Welsh Fire’s first game is away to Northern Superchargers on Saturday and they play at Sophia Gardens in the Welsh capital against Southern Brave on Tuesday.