You may have noticed Llanelli town centre being painted a particular shade of red, with wooden rugby jerseys donning some famous names scattered throughout businesses’ windows.
It’s all part of the build-up to the next town centre initiative launching this week, the Scarlets Summer Trail, organised by Ymlaen Llanelli Business Improvement District (BID) and supported by Scarlets Rugby.
Pick up a map from St Elli Shopping Centre and set off to find out which famous Scarlets players have been out and about in Llanelli town centre celebrating the team’s 150th anniversary. Find all 15 and take your completed map to Jenkins Bakery in Stepney Precinct for a free Scarlets-themed treat. All completed maps will count as entries into a draw for a chance to win a signed Scarlets mega-hamper, which includes a signed Scarlets 22/23 season shirt, a place at a pre-season captain’s run and players’ lunch, and two tickets to the Scarlets’ first friendly game of the season against Bristol Bears on 2nd September.
The trail begins this Wednesday, July 20 and runs until Wednesday, August 31, with five lucky winners set to be drawn the following day, including the winner of the grand prize and four runners up, who will also get a place at the captain’s run and players’ lunch.
Chair of Ymlaen Llanelli, Lesley Richards, said the opportunity couldn’t be passed up: “It’s been great to work with the Scarlets to bring this trail to life. We knew we had to do something to help the town mark the team’s 150th anniversary, and people love our town centre trails, so it was a no-brainer really. To then team up with the Scarlets and have them come on board to support the initiative is incredible, and has really made it more exciting.
“There’s a great sense of local pride when it comes to the Scarlets. You can’t deny that they’re a huge part of Llanelli’s culture, and the community has a real connection with the team and its history. We think this trail may be our best yet – I dare say, some business owners are such big Scarlets fans, they might actually be out there doing the trail themselves!”
Scarlets Head of Marketing James Askey said: “It’s brilliant to be teaming up with Ymlaen Llanelli to launch the Scarlets trail. It’s a massive season for us as we celebrate our 150th anniversary and we look forward to seeing young and old getting involved in tracking down some of the great names who have worn the Scarlets jersey over the years.
“Llanelli and, of course, Stradey Park, has been a huge part of our history and it’s wonderful that our next generation of fans can learn about our heritage in such a fun initiative.”
A number of Scarlets players will be attending the town centre launch on Wednesday.
Ymlaen Llanelli recently brought the proverbial house down with the long-awaited return of its Llanelli 80s Festival, which saw crowds flock to the town centre for a day of 80s pop culture celebration. Up next in the BID’s annual event calendar, Llanelli Vintage Festival returns with live music and classic cars on display on Saturday, September 17.
The Scarlets Summer Trail runs throughout the school summer holidays and finishes on Wednesday, August 31. To find out more, visit www.ymlaenllanelli.com.