Wales rugby fans will be served weaker beer at this year’s Six Nations clashes at the Principality Stadium in the wake of a child being vomited on in the stands.
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) are looking to crack down on anti-social behaviour by limiting alcohol consumption for upcoming matches in Cardiff.
As a result, weaker beer will be served to all fans attending the Principality Stadium, whilst bars will close earlier to curb the amounts consumed.
The decision comes after Wales’ 2021 Autumn National series was plagued by drunk and disorderly behaviour, including two pitch invaders in their matches with New Zealand and South Africa.
As well as this there were also problems within the stands in their clash with Fiji, as one child was given £20 after having beer spilt on him, whilst another youngster was even vomited on during a match with Australia.
Following the chaos, fan surveys regarding the behaviour have led to new measures being taken by the WRU.
These include the stadium’s official brewer Heineken which serves 5% ABV lager being replaced by the lesser 4% ABV of Amstel Bier in the concourses on match days.
Stadium bosses did also consider a full alcohol ban, but instead opted to just close bars in the second half of matches.
In a statement WRU chief executive Steve Phillips said: “We want supporters to remain passionate and enthused and to continue to bring their best voices to the Principality Stadium but we also need them to behave responsibly and encourage those around them to do the same.”
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Phillips went on to add that some of the stories of drunkenness and crowd disruption at recent games were ‘embarrassing’.
He continued: “We have measures which are designed to change a direction of travel from some quarters detected at our Autumn Nations Series matches without negatively impacting the experience of a hardcore and significant supporter base who make the Principality Stadium experience what it is.
"Some of the stories we heard were embarrassing.
“We're not being forced to do this, but we think it's the right thing to do. It wasn't a difficult decision at all. We're going to drop a bit of revenue, but it's the right thing to do…
“We recognise these trial measures will be welcomed by some fans, others will feel we've either gone too far or done too little.
"These measures are about getting the right balance for our fans to ensure they enjoy a great stadium experience during the upcoming Six Nations."
Wales will kick off their 2022 Six Nations campaign this Saturday. with an away clash against Ireland, whilst their first home match will come a week later when they host Scotland.
