Padel comes to North Cardiff as Stride Park takes shape

North Cardiff's first purpose-built padel venue is set to open next year.

The Padel Club and fitness operator SW7 Gyms - co-founded by Rhiwbina's Sam Warburton - have today (Thursday 10 September) been confirmed as the first occupiers at Stride Park in Llanishen - a site which will include fitness, leisure and commercial use.

Padel has become highly popular in recent years, as it's seen as easy to learn and more social than many sports

The Padel Club will open a seven-court venue, with four indoor panoramic courts under a 10‑metre-high roof, two canopy courts and one outdoor court.

The facility, the first in the north of the city, will provide opportunities for players of all abilities, and will also feature a clubhouse, seating, lockers, showers, and an on-site retail and coaching hub.

Alongside The Padel Club, SW7 Gyms will open at Stride Park early next year. The performance and wellness club will feature a premium gym, recovery suite, group classes, one-to-one coaching, and café.

SW7 Gyms is co-founded by Rhiwbina's former Wales and British & Irish Lions rugby union captain Sam Warburton OBE and his business partner Andrew Jones.

Sam said: "Throughout my youth and rugby career, I was obsessed with performance and getting the best out of myself, and I was lucky enough to experience some incredible training environments around the world.

"Since retiring, creating a space that brings the best of those experiences to everyone has become a real passion project. To open our first site in north Cardiff, where I grew up, makes it even more special. I want it to be a place the whole community feels welcome, whatever their background, ability or goals — and hopefully the first of many."

The Padel Club in Cheltenham - the new North Cardiff facility will look similar

Stride Park forms part of Cardiff Business Park in Llanishen, and is in walking distance of Llanishen Leisure Centre and the Lifestyle Shopping Park, as well as Ty Glas train station.

Richard Walters of Avalon Glen, which owns Stride Park, said: "It is great to be bringing a mixed-use development to such a well-connected location. The site was in huge need of redevelopment and our ambition has been to create somewhere that will benefit both the local, and wider, Cardiff community, stimulate the local economy and deliver significant health and wellbeing benefits through sport, fitness and active leisure."

Kris Ball, founder and CEO of The Padel Club, added: "Cardiff is a hugely exciting market for padel, and we're delighted to be bringing The Padel Club to north Cardiff. Stride Park is a fantastic opportunity to create something that goes beyond simply building courts — we're creating a destination where people can play, train, socialise and become part of a community."

The Stride Park redevelopment includes refurbished commercial units ranging from 5,250 sq ft to 15,750 sq ft, which have been marketed by Knight Frank.