Cardiff Met to host Team Wales athlete announcement as King’s Baton Relay comes to campus

Cardiff Metropolitan University will play a central role in the opening day of the King’s Baton Relay in Wales, as the Baton arrives on campus for the official Team Wales media event ahead of Glasgow 2026.

Taking place on Friday 19 June, the visit will see Cardiff Met welcome Team Wales, athletes, media and invited guests to Cyncoed Campus for one of the most significant moments in the build-up to next summer’s Commonwealth Games.

The event will include the formal welcome of selected athletes into Team Wales, led by Chef de Mission Gethin Jones, alongside a dedicated media opportunity for athletes preparing to represent Wales on the international stage.

The Baton will arrive at Cardiff Met following a vibrant opening to the Welsh leg of the Relay at Barry Island. The day will begin with a coastal arrival from Barry Docks RNLI station, before the Baton is carried along Whitmore Bay and the promenade as part of a community-focused celebration.

For Cardiff Met, the visit represents far more than a stop on the Relay route, it's a major opportunity to showcase the University’s long-standing contribution to Welsh sport, its role in supporting athletes, coaches, practitioners and students, and its growing ambition to be recognised as Wales’ Sporting University.

Ben O’Connell, Director of Sport at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said: “Cardiff Met is delighted to be welcoming the King’s Baton to campus and hosting the official athlete announcement for the Games.

“We look forward to celebrating the hard work and dedication of so many talented athletes, a number of whom are either current students, alumni or use Cardiff Met as their training base.”

The campus event will place Cardiff Met at the heart of the national conversation around Team Wales and the road to Glasgow 2026. It will also provide an important platform to celebrate the people and programmes that continue to connect the University to elite sport, student sport, community sport and the wider Welsh sporting system.

The day will also highlight the strength of Cardiff Met’s relationship with Team Wales and the wider Commonwealth Games movement. With a proud history of students, alumni, staff and training-based athletes contributing to Welsh teams across multiple Games, the University continues to play an important role in helping people progress within high-performance environments.

Following the Cardiff Met event, the Baton will continue to Celtic Manor Resort, where it will form part of a sports festival involving local primary schools and Positive Futures. The festival will showcase the 10 sports set to feature at Glasgow 2026 and provide young people with the chance to engage with sport through the support of National Governing Bodies.

The Welsh leg of the King’s Baton Relay will run from 19 to 24 June, featuring a mixture of live events and pre-recorded moments across the country. The Relay will bring communities together, celebrate local pride and build momentum towards Glasgow 2026, which takes place from 23 July to 2 August.