From the match programme:-
"Opening Shots"
"A warm welcome to everyone to Stradey Park for another exciting season. This is the time of year when every clubs' hopes and ambitions are high. No more so than today's visitors Newport. Their revival under the stewardship of Tony Brown and their recruitment of quality players now make them challengers in all competitions. We will have to be at our very best to win. During the summer recess we have added quality players to the squad and I believe it is the strongest we have assembled for some considerable time. In adding Alex Bennett, Guy Easterby and Alex Lawson, we have brought experience, skill and strength in depth to the team. Dafydd Jones and Mike Buckingham, our other summer signings, have shown in pre-season preparations that they too will be challenging for first team places."
"Recent announcements by the WRU, regarding the structure for season 2001 / 2002, are positive news. We must continually raise the standards of our play, and by adding Irish and Scottish Districts and Provinces to our League can only improve the Standards. A lot of hard work on both sponsorship and broadcasting is needed to ensure that the appropriate funding is available to support the new' structure. The WRU recently announce the Principality Building Society as the new sponsor of the Welsh Challenge Cup. This is the first positive step for some 3 years in bringing new sponsors to our game. Further high profile multi-national companies need to be encouraged to form partnerships with the WRU, to ensure that the professional game is sustainable. Quite clearly, at present, it is not sustainable and is reliant on individuals who are financially supporting the game in Wales and without their financial support the game would be in difficulty. I sincerely hope that real progress can be made with a partnership between the Clubs and the Union to achieve what we all seek, a thriving, developing, exciting, spectator-friendly game, one of whom we can all be proud of."
"STUART GALLACHER"
"CHIEF EXECUTIVE"