Cardiff Blues change name to Cardiff Rugby for 2021-22 season
Cardiff Blues have confirmed they will become Cardiff Rugby from next season.
The Arms Park outfit announced the change following extensive consultations with key stakeholders.
The club will also revert to playing in their traditional blue and black colours.
They have been known as the Blues since the regionalisation of Welsh rugby in 2003.
The decision was made following analysis of existing customer demographics, consistent supporter feedback and wider market research with discussions involving supporter groups, sponsors and other stakeholders including the Welsh Rugby Union.
The move marks a new era for the side, with Dai Young returning as director of rugby, plans advancing for a new training complex, and a young squad of home-grown talent developing.
There has already been a realignment of elite development pathways at the Arms Park with the Indigo Group Premiership side, Cardiff RFC, set to operate as the Rags when semi-professional rugby returns.
Cardiff Rugby Chief Executive, Richard Holland said: "We see this change as a key step in the evolution of top-flight rugby in Cardiff.
"We are proud to embrace our rich heritage and history, which goes back more than 145 years, and encompasses greats of the game including Bleddyn Williams, Cliff Morgan, Gareth Edwards, Terry Holmes and Gethin Jenkins.
"This is also the best way forward for the development of players, with much closer alignment between all of our teams and Cardiff RFC now returning to be the traditional 'Rags' to Cardiff Rugby.
"We are enormously excited to see what the future holds and look forward to seeing the blue and blacks run out at the iconic Arms Park, whether in the Regional Age Grade competitions, Indigo Group Premiership, Guinness PRO14 or European competition."