On Wednesday, the cricket teams of England and Australia will walk out on to the pitch of the £10m ($16m) Swalec Stadium in Cardiff to contest the first home Ashes test match held outside England for 102 years.

Next year, golf’s prestigious Ryder Cup will take place in Newport, nearby on the south Wales coast. Both events will reinforce the impression that, in sport and culture, Cardiff and the rest of Wales punch well above their weight.