Cardiff Kick-off Stays

The organisers of the Six Nations Championship will not be changing the kick-off time of next month's international between Wales and England at the Millennium Stadium despite a refusal by the Wales and Borders train company to lay on services to England after the match.

The game is starting at 5.30pm at the request of the BBC, who hope the later time will attract a higher audience than the traditional afternoon kick-off. But the managing director of Wales and Borders Trains, Chris Gibb, said the late ending would create a dangerous scrum of 28,000 passengers at Cardiff Central Station and that east-bound trains would not go beyond Newport.

"We will not compromise the safety of travelling supporters,"he said. "The word in all our minds when we are talking about safety at the station is Hillsborough and we believe the kick-off should be brought forward."

John Feehan, acting chief executive of the Six Nations committee, said last night that English supporters going to Cardiff should seek alternative transport. "I believe the train company is using the safety argument as a smokescreen. But it has been very difficult having a rational discussion with them, even though they knew last July what time the match was starting. We have a contractual obligation to the BBC and the whole point of the 5.30pm start is to take the game to a new audience."

The Welsh Rugby Union yesterday confirmed its decision to pull out of the Six Nations A Championship on financial grounds.