Plans to establish a new £2m centre of excellence near Llantrisant, south Wales, have been unveiled by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

The centre will be situated at the four-star Vale Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort, which is already used by the Welsh national rugby team as a training base ahead of international fixtures. Under plans for the new centre, which involve a major expansion of the WRU's current training base, WRU teams and backroom staff will have exclusive use of facilities, including the resort's indoor arena and offices.

Three new full size pitches will be laid, as well as two half pitches and an artificial 3G pitch inside the indoor arena. Work is underway on the upgrade of the centre's gym, which will be open for use by players in preparation for this autumn's international fixtures. The renovation of administrative facilities and the installation of new pitches will begin shortly, with work scheduled for completion by summer next year.

WRU chief executive, Roger Lewis, said: "We are creating a centre of excellence which will truly be the envy of the rugby world. This will take Wales to the forefront of the professional game when it comes to providing the facilities needed to achieve success at international level." The centre is the result of a partnership between the WRU, Leekes, the owner of the resort, and the Sports Council of Wales, which has allocated £1.5m of Lottery money towards the project.