Cardiff Rugby launches evidence-based sustainability game plan with RSK

RSK, a global leader in environmental and engineering solutions, has supported Cardiff Rugby in developing its new sustainability strategy, which it launched on 3 September 2026.

Sustainability consultants at RSK Group company Nature Positive worked with the Welsh Rugby Union club to translate its priorities and ambition into a new strategy that reflects its commitment to building a sustainable future for the club and the surrounding community.

As Cardiff Rugby’s principal front-of-shirt sponsor, RSK is helping the club turn the strategy’s ambition into measurable action, working alongside Nature Positive to put the data and governance in place for a long-term plan.

The strategy, Forward Cardiff: From Pitch to Planet, takes a holistic approach to the club’s sustainability goals and looks to incorporate climate-, nature- and people-focused actions into the way it operates.

Nature Positive Associate Director Jenny Hughes said: “The new strategy represents a milestone in Cardiff Rugby achieving its sustainability ambitions and a recognition of what it can impact on this journey. The strategy builds on a strong foundation of sustainability action.”

Key achievements to date include:

• 177,196 kg of CO₂e savings pledged by supporters through the club’s partnership with Pledgeball for a single derby fixture (December 2025)
• water fountains and refill stations across the stadium, cutting reliance on single-use plastics
• more than 80% of waste collected at Cardiff Arms Park now recycled
• 90% digital ticketing adoption, reducing paper use and modernising the match-day experience
• home and away kit produced with Macron using Eco Fabric, a material made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic
• community programmes reaching more than 80,000 people annually through 382 schools and 84 grassroots clubs in five local authorities, delivering education, mentoring, health and inclusion initiatives across the region.

Jenny said: “Through the development of the strategy, Cardiff brought a deep understanding of itself as an organisation and where it wanted to go with its sustainability ambitions. This enabled us as the sustainability consultant to translate its ideas into a clear vision, mission and commitment that reflects the club and what it stands for.

“Through an evidence-led process, the strategy began with a review of the club’s existing sustainability activities and policies, followed by interviews and workshops with the club to identify, prioritise and shape the actions needed. With this strategy, Cardiff Rugby has laid the groundwork to become a leader in sustainable sport, showing it is possible to drive meaningful change through action and partnership.”

The strategy focuses on three key themes in recognition of the breadth and diversity of sustainability touch points across the club’s operations. Jenny said: “The focus on ‘Climate, Nature, People’ highlights a very clear mission from Cardiff – sustainability is about the club’s whole relationship with the natural world and society. It encompasses every drink at a game, every post-match meal and every grass pitch played on; it is looking beyond carbon and across the whole value chain.”

Cardiff Rugby Managing Director Jamie Muir said: “It was fantastic to recently launch our strategy, and we are enormously grateful to Richard Parks for hosting such an excellent event, and to RSK and Nature Positive for bringing their industry expertise and insight to some really powerful discussions.

“RSK, Nature Positive and Copper Consultancy have been integral to our sustainability journey, supporting us every step of the way and helping us turn our ambitions into meaningful action.

“Sustainability is not a stand-alone initiative; it runs through every part of the club, from rugby and our day-to-day operations to our work in the community and engagement with supporters. As we celebrate 150 years of Cardiff Rugby, this strategy is ultimately about legacy and ensuring the next chapter for both our club and our city is a positive one.

“Through our Foundation, we already deliver a huge amount of positive work across our communities, while recent partnerships with the National Trust, Keep Wales Tidy and Pugh’s Garden Village have enabled us to launch meaningful projects with a genuine environmental impact.

“What is particularly important is that sustainability is now becoming embedded in the way we operate. The environment and the impact of our decisions are increasingly part of the conversations we have and the choices we make at the Arms Park.

“There is still a huge amount more we want to achieve, and we look forward to building on this momentum, using our influence and bringing people together to help create a greener, cleaner and healthier future.”