A CAMPAIGN has been kicked off to market Lampeter as the birthplace of Welsh rugby before the autumn international rugby series.

Celebrations were held in the town in March to mark the 150th anniversary of the first competitive rugby match ever played in Wales, which was held on the university’s playing fields between St David’s College — now University of Wales Trinity St David — and nearby Llandovery College in 1866.

Following official acknowledgement from the Welsh Rugby Union, Lampeter Town Council is pushing ahead with plans to market the town as the birthplace of Welsh rugby union, both with passing visitors and with those visiting Wales from abroad to watch international rugby matches.

Cllr Selwyn Walters told fellow councillors last week that he was in contact with the county council with a view to installing strategically placed signs on the main routes into the town.

“I haven’t been able to have a formal meeting about it yet, but we are looking more into costs to be incurred by the county council,” Cllr Walters said at a town council meeting on Thursday.

“Discussions have been ongoing for a little while and will continue until we design the whole project. There is a little trick to putting signs in strategic locations along routes and junctions into Lampeter.

“The signs will be used to attract people who might otherwise pass Lampeter.”See this week's south editions for the full story, in shops and online now