A fourteen foot high, larger than life incarnation of the ‘Judgement Day’ coat of arms – appearing to have fallen from the sky to land in an Arthurian-style rock – will descend on Rodney Parade this New Year's Day.
The artisic installation which is reminiscent of the Rugby World Cup’s ‘ball in the wall’ at Cardiff Castle, will be on tour around Wales until Judgement Day V, on Saturday 15th April 2017, and supporters who spot it at each location are in with a chance to win tickets to the annual event.
Fans are being asked to post ‘Shield Selfies’ using the ‘#JDV’ hashtag on instagram or twitter with the best photos at each new venue set to win a pair of tickets to see the Cardiff Blues take on the Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons face the Scarlets at the double-header next Easter.
The first ‘Shield Selfie’ was taken by Cardiff Blues captain Sam Warburton and Newport Gwent Dragons wing Hallam Amos at Principality Stadium on Friday night and supporters are encouraged to ‘get creative’ when they recreate their versions of the picture to post to social media.
In the classic manner of a tourist pictured lending support to the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy or holding the Eiffel Tower in the palm of his hand in Paris, Warburton chose to take the full weight of the tottering shield – which displays the team logos of each Region – on his more than ample shoulders.
Amos chose a nonchalant pose leaning against the pseudo-monument, placed at the scene of each of the previous four Judgement Day battles to date, adding his weight to the seeming mass supported by Warburton, himself doing a grand impression of a Greek mythological character, Atlas, holding up the sky.
Judgment Day has already created a legend of its own with a 68,262 Regional attendance record set last year and over 26,000 already sold for JD V - a 30-per-cent increase on the sales figures at this time last year.
Heraldic imagery has been used in greater abundance each season to tap into the uniquely tribal make-up of the annual Judgement Day crowd and the ‘Shield Selfies’ are just the latest manifestation of the highly successful theme.
To capture your own ‘excalibur moment’ look out for the Judgment Day V shield and rock at a venue near you soon.
Shield competition: 1 winner will be picked at each location we go
WIN a pair of TICKETS TO JUDGEMENT DAY V
1. Take a shield selfie
2. Use #JDV
3. Post to twitter or Instagram
