The first Welsh-language esports tournament has taken place at the National Eisteddfod festival, powered by Welsh streaming platform Streams+.
In a press release, Streams+ (a product of Haia Communications Ltd) said the event drew more than 1,000 viewers both online and in-person.
The Esteddfod esports tournament featured EA FC and Rocket League, with separate brackets for under 16s and over 16s. The latter saw two of Wales’ finest: Cerith Dennis, a professional eFootball player and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, and Gareth Rowe, known as GAZZA79FC, of the Wrexham Robins.
Cerith’s victory, ‘achieved by leading Wales to a decisive win, underscored the tournament’s celebration of both esports excellence and Welsh pride’, Streams+ said in a release.
The streaming platform handled production, internet and livestreaming with a multi-viewer feature, and the Eisteddfod 2024 esports final can be watched back here.
16+ tournament winner Cerith Dennis said: “Winning the final with Wales in front of such a passionate crowd was an incredible experience.
“The Esteddfod tournament was a fantastic showcase of Welsh esports talent, and I’m proud to have been part of it. Competing in my native language added a special touch that made this win even more meaningful.”
Cerith Dennis, Welsh esports player
Prizes included £1,000, a trophy, football kits and tickets to Wales vs Turkey.
The tournament’s broadcast featured an expert commentary team, including Wales international footballer Joe Ledley, esports personality Gav Murphy, Wales international Kath Morgan and host Ameer Davies-Rana.
The event was partnered with the Football Association of Wales (FAW), Haia, M-SParc, Coleg y Cymoedd, Staffordshire University, Hansh (S4C), Hamilton Rentals and Esports Wales (whose first Hado team recently qualified for the Hado Euro Championship).
Esports Wales also held a Welsh language esports showmatch last year.
Cameron Vanloo, Lead Esports Lecturer at Staffordshire University, said: “Esteddfod set a new standard for regional esports tournaments by blending cultural identity with top-tier competition. This event has shown that esports can be a powerful vehicle for promoting and preserving local heritage.”
John Jackson, CEO at Esports Wales, added: “Not many think esports when you think of the Eisteddfod. The festival lasts for about a week and includes competitions in poetry, music, dance, visual arts, and other forms of Welsh culture, now esports! Having esports there is a significant step in developing the future welsh talent.”
M-SParc’s Managing Director, Pryderi ap Rhisiart, commented: “Why shouldn’t we play esports in Welsh? This is a living, modern language that belongs in every aspect of our lives—including gaming.”
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
