Cardiff Blues will groundshare with Cardiff City on the site of the Leckwith Athletics Stadium, which is due for completion in 2009.

The Coca-Cola Championship outfit are the driving force behind the city's new stadium.

The move to the new venue, which will also include an athletics track, will see both clubs quit their current homes at Ninian Park and Cardiff Arms Park.

In a statement on the club's official website, Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "On behalf of Cardiff City Football Club I am delighted that an agreement has been reached whereby Cardiff Blues will use the new stadium at Leckwith as their home ground.

"The arrangement makes total sense to everyone in professional sport both in and outside the city of Cardiff. Our new stadium will be something that everyone in the city of Cardiff will be proud of, and this agreement ensures that professional sport within the city and indeed far beyond can be seen to be prospering side by side.

"Supporters of both teams will enjoy facilities that in the past could only have been dreamt of."

Cardiff Blues chairman Peter Thomas added: "I have no doubt that the new statement will be the springboard to success for both teams for many years to come."

The move to Leckwith had been initiated by former Bluebirds chairman Sam Hammam in January 2002 but Hammam later revealed that the club were saddled with debts of almost £30 million.

Since the arrival of Ridsdale as chairman though, the project has got back on track and in March the stadium plans were altered to allow construction to begin as soon as possible.

Last week, the two clubs announced that they had been granted permission to install new football and rugby pitches in the Vale of Glamorgan as part of a sports academy.

Sporting Life / Eurosport