EIRIAS Park’s new Events Centre was officialy opened by Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones last week.
The leader of the Welsh Government unveiled a plaque commememorating the opening of the arena, which forms part of the widespread regeneration programme taking place in Colwyn Bay, and took a guided tour of the £6.5million facility.
“This is a proud day for Colwyn Bay, a proud day for North Wales and a proud day for the whole of Wales,” he said.
“It will provide top-class facilities for the local community and be a crucial base for the Welsh Rugby Union's ambitions for North Wales. It is a key element in the plans to revitalise and regenerate the town and boost the economy."
The First Minister was joined at the grand opening by legendary Welsh rugby player Gerald Davies, who said he hoped the centre, which will provide a base for the Welsh Rugby Union’s North Wales Rugby Academy, would inspire a new generation of North Wales rugby internationals to follow in the footsteps of Anglesey’s George North, who starred for Wales at this summer’s Rugby World Cup.
“This is a place for wishing and believing, it’s a place to embrace and fulfill excellence,” he said.
“This truly is a wonderful facility. It will help every young person, brave, courageous, youthful, ambitious, to prove how great they are, just like George North.”
Members of the public also had a chance to take a look around the new arena over the weekend, which included free trials of the new sports centre facilities as well as guided tours of the development.
The project, financed by £3.8m from the European Regional Development Fund and funding from the Welsh Assembly Government, Conwy County Borough Council and the Welsh Rugby Union, took eight months to complete.