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Hard Rock Stadium

Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college football team.

The stadium also has hosted six Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII, XLI, XLIV, and LIV) the 2010 Pro Bowl, two World Series ( and ), four BCS National Championship Games (2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013), one CFP National Championship (2021), one Copa América final (2024), the second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and WrestleMania XXVIII.

In addition, the stadium hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game, and the Miami Open tennis tournament. Since 2022, the grounds of Hard Rock Stadium has also hosted the Miami International Autodrome, a temporary racing circuit used for Formula 1's Miami Grand Prix. In addition, the stadium will host multiple matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It also hosted matches for the 2024 Copa América including the final. From 1993 until 2011, the stadium also was the home field of the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) until their move to LoanDepot Park in 2012.

The facility opened in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium and has been known by a number of names since: Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Land Shark Stadium, and Sun Life Stadium. In August 2016, the team sold the naming rights to Hard Rock Cafe Inc. for $250 million over 18 years; they will retain the naming rights until 2034.

Conception and construction
For their first 21 seasons, the Miami Dolphins played at the Orange Bowl. Team founder Joe Robbie explained what led to the decision to build a new stadium: "In 1976, the city of Miami wanted to quadruple our rent. That did it. I began thinking in earnest about building a stadium." What made the construction of the stadium truly unique was that it was the first multipurpose stadium ever built in the United States that was entirely privately financed.

Robbie also believed it was only a matter of time before a Major League Baseball (MLB) team came to South Florida. At his request, the stadium was built in a rectangular configuration, with a field that was somewhat wider than was normally the case for an NFL stadium. The wide field also made it fairly easy to convert the stadium for soccer. Because of this design decision, the first row of seats was 90 ft from the sideline in a football configuration, considerably more distant than the first row of seats in most football stadiums (the closest seats at the new Soldier Field, for instance, are 55 ft from the sideline at the 50-yard line). This resulted in a less intimate venue for football compared to other football facilities built around this time, as well as to the Orange Bowl.

At the time it opened in 1987, Joe Robbie Stadium was located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, and had a Miami address. Specifically it was in the Scott Lake census-designated place. Today, it is located in the city of Miami Gardens, which was incorporated on May 13, 2003.

Widespread damage to the stadium was reported to have occurred during the 2024 Copa América final international soccer match which was held at Hard Rock Stadium on July 14, 2024.

Miami Dolphins
The first preseason game for the Dolphins was played on August 16, 1987, against the Chicago Bears. The first regular season game was scheduled for September 27, a week 3 game against the New York Giants; this game was canceled and not made up due to the 1987 players strike. The first regular season NFL game played there was a 42–0 Dolphins victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on October 11, 1987. The game was in the middle of the 1987 NFL strike, and was played with replacement players. The first game with union players was on October 25 of that year, a 34–31 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. The stadium hosted its first Monday Night Football game on December 7 of that year, a 37–28 Dolphins victory over the New York Jets.

The Dolphins have played eight playoff games at the stadium, including the 1992 AFC Championship Game, which they lost to the Buffalo Bills 29–10. The Dolphins are 5–3 in playoff games held here, losing the most recent one in January 2009 against the Baltimore Ravens. Also of note, the stadium was host of the 2018 Miracle in Miami game against the New England Patriots, where the Dolphins scored on the last play of the game. They've now beaten every team here at least once. The team is unbeaten here against the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams (4–0).

Miami Hurricanes football
Since 2008, the stadium has served as the home field for the Miami Hurricanes college football team, a premier college football program that has won five national championships since 1983. The university signed a 25-year contract to play at Hard Rock Stadium through 2033.

Prior to their move to Hard Rock Stadium, from 1937 until 2008, the Miami Hurricanes played their home games at the Miami Orange Bowl.

Florida Marlins
From 1993 until 2011, the stadium served as the home field to the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball.

While Joe Robbie Stadium was built primarily for football, it was also designed to easily accommodate baseball and soccer. Dolphins founder Joe Robbie believed it was a foregone conclusion that MLB would come to South Florida, so he wanted the stadium designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible. In 1990, Wayne Huizenga purchased 50% of Joe Robbie Stadium and became the point man in the drive to bring Major League Baseball to South Florida. That effort was rewarded in July 1991, when the Miami area was awarded an MLB expansion franchise. The new team was named the Florida Marlins, and placed in the National League to begin play in 1993. Proposed 1994 FIFA World Cup matches could not be held at the stadium, as this June–July tournament conflicted directly with Marlins home games; Orlando's Citrus Bowl was used instead. The first Marlins game at Joe Robbie Stadium was played on April 5, 1993, a 6–3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Marlins drew over three million people in their inaugural season, and went on to win two World Series titles in 1997 and 2003.

Despite such preparation and pockets of success, the stadium was less than adequate as a baseball venue. Although designed from the ground up to accommodate baseball, it was not a true multi-purpose stadium. Rather, it was a football stadium that could convert into a baseball stadium. There were plenty of reminders of this at Marlins games. The stadium's color scheme matched that of the Dolphins. When the football season overlapped, cleat marks, as well as silhouettes of hashmarks and logos of the Dolphins or Hurricanes, were visible on the baseball diamond. During football games, the infield dirt was visible on the gridiron. The Marlins reduced capacity to 47,662 (later to 35,521), mainly to create a more intimate atmosphere for baseball. However, capacity would have likely been reduced in any event, since many of the seats in the upper deck were too far from the field to be of any use during the regular season. Even with the reduced capacity, the sight lines were less than optimal for baseball. Most seats were pointed toward the 50-yard line—where center field was located in the baseball configuration. Lights were not angled for optimum baseball visibility. Players had to walk through football tunnels to get to dugouts that were designed with low ceiling joists. Some of these issues were showcased on national television during the two World Series held there, when capacity was expanded to over 67,000. Most notably, some areas of left and center field were not part of the football playing field, and fans sitting in the left-field upper deck could not see any game action in those areas except on the replay boards. These issues became even more pronounced over the years, as, by 2004, a wave of baseball-only parks left what had by then been renamed Pro Player Stadium as the only National League park that played host to both an MLB and an NFL team.

Additionally, the stadium was built for games held during the fall/winter football season, not for games in the tropical summers of South Florida, which feature oppressive heat, humidity, frequent rain, and occasional tropical storms. For most of the stadium's run as a baseball venue, it was the hottest stadium in the majors, with temperatures for day games frequently reaching well above 95 F. The Marlins played most of their summer home games at night as a result. The lack of refuge from the uncomfortable climate and disruptive rain delays were considered a cause of chronically low attendance after that inaugural season. When the Marlins were not contending, they struggled to attract crowds larger than 5,000, a figure that looked even smaller than that due to the cavernous environment. Some Marlins players later admitted that they "couldn't wait to go on the road" because Sun Life Stadium (as their home had been renamed in 2010) had the "worst [playing] conditions" and least fan energy in the majors during years when the team was not a contender.

Baseball renovations and configurations
After Huizenga bought part of the stadium, it was extensively renovated to accommodate a baseball team at the cost of several million dollars, as part of his successful bid to bring baseball to South Florida. Purists initially feared the result would be similar to Exhibition Stadium in Toronto; when the Toronto Blue Jays played there from 1977 to 1989, they were burdened with seats that were so far from the field (over 800 feet in some cases) that they were not even sold during the regular season. However, Robbie had foreseen Miami would be a likely location for a new or relocated MLB team, and the stadium was designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible. On January 24, 1994, soon after buying the Dolphins, Huizenga acquired the remaining 50% of the stadium to give him 100% ownership.

Aside from baseball renovations, the stadium underwent some permanent renovations. In April 2006, the stadium unveiled two Daktronics large video boards, the largest in professional sports at the time. The east display measured 50 ft high by 140 ft wide, and the west end zone display measured 50 ft high by 100 ft wide. A new 2118 ft-long LED ribbon board, again the largest in the world at the time, was also installed. These have since been surpassed in size.

In addition, the upgrades included vastly widened 40000 sqft concourses on the stadium's north and south sides. Bars, lounges and other amenities were also added. The renovation had three phases, with the second and third phases of renovation taking place after the Marlins left the stadium. These remaining phases included adding a canopy to shield fans from the rain, which caused the relocation of the video boards to the corners of the upper deck, as well as narrowing the sidelines by bringing the seats closer to the field, ending its convertibility to baseball. The orange colored seats were also replaced with aqua colored ones.

2015 renovation
The Marlins left for their own stadium, Marlins Park (now LoanDepot Park), which was completed for the 2012 MLB season.

A privately funded $350 million stadium renovation project began in January 2015, after the 2014 Orange Bowl. The project plan allowed the stadium to be used for football games during the 2015 NFL season, and was completed for the 2016 season. Stadium upgrades included video boards in each corner of the stadium, additional suites, and an open-air canopy over the main seating areas. As part of the renovation, the stadium's seating capacity was reduced from 75,000 to 65,000 seats. Personal seat licenses were not used, and a preview center opened at the stadium in February 2015 to help current and prospective season ticket holders select their ticket packages. Luxury packages were used in place of PSL revenue to help finance the stadium. Thirty-two four-seat pods were installed located in the lower bowl at the south 30-yard lines, with an additional 16 pods at the south end zone. The pods feature a living room arrangement, including premium furniture and television screens that show the NFL RedZone channel and NFL programming.

Tennis
In November 2017, the Miami Open tennis tournament announced that it would move from Crandon Park in Key Biscayne to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019. Its organizers had pursued a $50 million refurbishment of the aging facility, including the addition of three permanent stadium courts. However, the family who originally owned the land filed a lawsuit that blocked their construction, as their agreement to donate the site to Miami-Dade County in 1992 contained a stipulation that only one stadium may be built on the site.

To host the tournament, 29 permanent courts (including 11 tournament courts, with one being a 4,993-seat grandstand court) were built on Hard Rock Stadium's south parking lots. The stadium proper serves as center court, using a modified, 13,800-seat configuration with temporary grandstands constructed on the playing surface, placing the court roughly between the two 30-yard lines. The move to Hard Rock Stadium was praised by players and fans because of the ample space the complex provides.

In January 2020, the stadium opened the SkyView gondola, which runs at the south side of the stadium complex and provides views of the grounds and the Miami skyline.

Permanent seating
The 65,326 permanent seats for football and soccer configurations break down as follows: for the general 19 in seats with chair back and armrests, there are 27,397 in the lower deck and 34,736 in the upper deck. There are 10,209 of the bigger club 21 in seats with chair back and armrests. In the 193 executive suites with 10, 12, 16, 20, and 24 seats, there are a total of 3,198. There are also 300 accessible seating locations for spectators with disabilities, 150 seats for working press, and 10 radio/TV booths.

The stadium contains 10,209 club seats and 216 suites. When the Marlins played at the stadium, 2,400 of the club seats and 216 suites were available.

The parking around the stadium takes up 140 acres, featuring parking for 24,137 cars, 171 buses, 90 RVs, 85 limousines, and one helipad on site.

NFL
The stadium has played host to six Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII, XLI, XLIV, and LIV). and also hosted the 2010 Pro Bowl.

Super Bowl XLI in 2007 at Dolphin Stadium, when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29–17, was marred by heavy rains. An estimated 30% of the lower-level seating was empty during the second half.

In 2010, the NFL threatened to take the stadium out of further consideration for a Super Bowl or Pro Bowl unless significant renovations were made. One of the upgrades desired was a roof to protect fans from the elements. In 2012, the Dolphins scrapped plans for pitching a $200 million hotel tax proposal that would have included a partial stadium roof.

In 2016, an open-air canopy was constructed that protects the seating bowl from the elements. The canopy, however, does have a football-field-sized hole in the middle, and thus does not protect the playing field itself from rain. The renovations were completed by the first Miami Dolphins pre-season home game in September 2016.

Previously, since the field runs east–west (rather than north–south, as is the case in most other stadiums), the north stands were exposed to the full force of South Florida's oppressive heat early in the season. The issue became so problematic that Stephen Ross, who owned the Dolphins and the stadium, successfully petitioned the NFL to have all September home games start at or after 4 pm. Ross knew that for much of September, the Dolphins had a substantial home-field advantage against opponents unaccustomed to the sweltering heat. However, he was willing to give that up in order to ensure a more comfortable environment for fans, as well as allow the stadium to host another Super Bowl.

In 2021, the team opened the Baptist Health Training Complex at the west side of the Stadium complex. The Dolphins permanently moved to the state-of-the art facility that hosts the team headquarters, and is also a World Cup practice facility site.

College football
Since 2008, the stadium has served as the home field for the Miami Hurricanes, one of college football's most storied football programs. It also served briefly as the home field for the Florida Atlantic Owls from 2001 to 2002.

The stadium has hosted both the 2009 BCS National Championship Game and the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. The 2013 game between Alabama and Notre Dame set a new attendance record for the facility, with 80,120 on hand to witness Alabama's third BCS Championship in four seasons.

Between 1990 and 2000, the stadium hosted a bowl game variously known as the Blockbuster Bowl, CarQuest Bowl and MicronPC Bowl. After 2000, that bowl was moved to Orlando, where it eventually became known as the Russell Athletic Bowl.

The stadium has been the site of the Orange Bowl game since 1996, except for the January 1999 contest between Florida and Syracuse, which had to be moved due to a conflict with a Dolphins playoff game.

Until 2008, the stadium was host (in even numbered years) to the annual Shula Bowl, a game played between the Florida Atlantic University Owls and the Florida International University Panthers, when the game was hosted by FAU as the home team (FIU hosts the game at its own stadium, Riccardo Silva Stadium, every other year). In 2010, the game was moved to Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium, and in 2011 the Owls opened FAU Stadium on its Boca Raton campus, and started hosting the Shula Bowl there biennially in 2012.

The stadium hosted the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship game and (as the Orange Bowl) the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship semi-final game. The stadium will host the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 19, 2026.

WrestleMania XXVIII
On April 1, 2012, the stadium hosted WrestleMania XXVIII, WWE's flagship professional wrestling event. This was the second edition of WrestleMania to be held in Florida, and the third to be held entirely outdoors. The event was headlined by the "Once in a Lifetime" match where The Rock defeated John Cena. The other most prominent match on the card was the "End of an Era" Hell in a Cell match, in which The Undertaker defeated Triple H to extend his WrestleMania winning streak to 20-0. Shawn Michaels served as special guest referee for the match. With an attendance of 78,363, the event grossed $67 million, and was estimated to have generated $103 million in revenue for Miami. The event is still the most purchased WWE PPV/PLE ever, garnering 1.217 Million buys.

Baseball
Two National League Division Series have been played at Hard Rock Stadium:

 * 1997 against the San Francisco Giants: Marlins win 3 games to 0
 * 2003 against the San Francisco Giants: Marlins win 3 games to 1

Two National League Championship Series have been played at Hard Rock Stadium:
 * 1997 against the Atlanta Braves: Marlins win 4 games to 2
 * 2003 against the Chicago Cubs: Marlins win 4 games to 3

Two World Series have been played at Hard Rock Stadium:
 * 1997 against the Cleveland Indians: Marlins win 4 games to 3
 * 2003 against the New York Yankees: Marlins win 4 games to 2

All those series have been played when the stadium went by the name Pro Player Stadium.

When the Marlins began play in 1993, the stadium's baseball capacity was initially reduced to 47,662, with most of the upper level covered with a tarp. In addition to Huizenga's desire to create a more intimate atmosphere for baseball, most of the seats in the upper level would have been too far from the field to be of any use during the regular season. The stadium's baseball capacity was further reduced over the years, and finally settled at 38,560 seats. However, the Marlins would usually open the entire upper level for the postseason. In the 1997 World Series, the Marlins played before crowds of over 67,000 fans, some of the highest postseason attendance figures in MLB history, only exceeded by Cleveland Stadium during the 1948 and 1954 World Series, old Yankee Stadium prior to its mid-1970s renovation, and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the 1959 World Series.

Although it was designed from the ground up to accommodate baseball, it was never a true multipurpose stadium. Rather, it was built as a football stadium that could convert into a baseball stadium. Most of the seats in the baseball configuration were pointed toward center field – where the 50-yard line would have been in the football configuration. As a result, even with the reduced capacity, the sight lines for baseball left much to be desired. This was particularly evident during the Marlins' World Series appearances in 1997 and 2003. Some portions of left and center field were not part of the football playing field, and fans sitting in the left field upper-deck seats were unable to see these areas except on the replay boards. Even with the reduced capacity, during years the Marlins were not contending, they often drew crowds of 5,000 or fewer—a total that looked even smaller due to the spacious environment.

The stadium was notorious for its poor playing conditions. The lights were not located in optimal positions for baseball visibility. During August and September, when the Dolphins (and later the Hurricanes) shared the stadium, the field conditions were among the worst in the majors, according to both Marlins players and visiting players. Indeed, several Marlins players said that at times, they "couldn't wait to go on the road." Visiting teams hated coming to the stadium as well. For instance, when the Atlanta Braves came to the stadium for the last time in 2011, Dan Uggla, who played for the Marlins from 2006 to 2010, said that he was probably the only Braves player that would miss it. The stadium's problems as a baseball venue became even more stark as time wore on, as the Marlins' tenure in the stadium coincided with a wave of new, baseball-only parks. When the Marlins began play in 1993, the stadium was one of 14 that hosted both an MLB team and a professional football team. By the time the Marlins left the stadium, however, it was one of only three in the majors (and the only National League stadium) that played host to both a baseball team and an NFL or CFL team, the other two being the Oakland Coliseum and Toronto's Rogers Centre.

For most of the Marlins' tenure at the stadium, it was the hottest stadium in the major leagues. The Marlins played nearly all of their home games from late May through mid-September at night due to South Florida's often oppressive heat and humidity. They also got waivers from MLB and ESPN to play on Sunday nights.

The stadium was the venue where Mark McGwire hit his NL-record 57th home run to best Hack Wilson's 68-year-old record of 56 in 1998. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th career home run off Mark Hendrickson of the Marlins on June 9, 2008; and where Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on May 29, 2010, against the Marlins.

Soccer
A number of soccer matches have been held at the stadium, including a number of international friendlies featuring Central or South American sides. This is due to South Florida being home to one of the largest populations of Central and South Americans in the United States.

The stadium hosted a match between FC Barcelona and C.D. Guadalajara on August 3, 2011, as part of the 2011 World Football Challenge. Guadalajara won the match 4–1 in front of 70,080 attendees.

Colombia beat Mexico 2–0 in a friendly international in front of 51,615 spectators at the stadium on February 29, 2012. A year later, they beat Guatemala 4–1.

Milan and Chelsea faced each other at the stadium on July 28, 2012. Milan won the match 1–0 in front of 57,748 fans.

Brazil beat Honduras 5–0 in a friendly match in front of 71,124 spectators on November 16, 2013. The attendance was the highest for a soccer match at the stadium.

England played Ecuador and Honduras at the New Miami Stadium on June 4 and 7, 2014, respectively.

South Korea played against Ghana on June 9, 2014.

On September 5, 2014, two months after a heavy defeat to Germany in the World Cup, Brazil beat Colombia 1–0 in front of an announced attendance of 73,429 fans, a new attendance record for a soccer match at the stadium.

The 2014 International Champions Cup preseason final was held at New Miami Stadium on August 4, 2014, with Manchester United defeating rival Liverpool 3–1 to claim the tournament's second title.

Two 2017 International Champions Cup preseason matches were played at the stadium, one of them being the El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barcelona won 3–2 in the second El Clásico to take place outside of Spain. 66,014 people, above current capacity, attended the match.

On March 23, 2018, the international friendly Peru–Croatia was played at the stadium, which Peru won 2–0.

2024 Copa América
The stadium hosted several matches during the 2024 Copa América, including the final match of the tournament.

2026 FIFA World Cup
The stadium will host several matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During the event, the stadium will be temporarily renamed to "Miami Stadium" in accordance with FIFA's policy on corporate-sponsored names. The stadium will host seven matches: four group stage matches, one Round of 32 match, one quarterfinal match, and the third place match.

Monster Jam
The monster truck touring series Monster Jam used to take place at the stadium every year. The last show performed there was in 2015, and the shows moved to Marlins Park (now LoanDepot Park) in 2018.

Boxing
On February 27, 2021, four-division boxing world champion Canelo Álvarez beat Avni Yildirim at Hard Rock Stadium to defend his WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring super-middleweight titles.

On June 6, 2021, the stadium hosted the boxing event Bragging Rights between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and YouTube personality Logan Paul.

On June 12, 2021, the stadium hosted the Social Gloves boxing event YouTubers vs. TikTokers, with Austin McBroom and Bryce Hall headlining the event.

Other events
Other events held at the stadium have included international soccer games, Hoop-It-Up Basketball, RV and boat shows, the UniverSoul Circus, numerous trade shows, and religious gatherings. The stadium has also hosted Australian rules football exhibition matches (including two Victorian Football League (VFL) post-season exhibitions). For the 1988 exhibition between Collingwood and Geelong, the game was played on the diagonal to compensate for the stadium not being an oval.

In 2006, it hosted the High School State Football Championships, sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the stadium began temporarily hosting an outdoor movie theater at the tennis campus and a drive-in theater in the stadium itself. Additionally, the East Lot of the venue has been used as a COVID-19 testing site, drawing hundreds of cars every day at the peak of the pandemic.

On April 18, 2021, Formula 1 announced a 10-year deal to host races in the area around the stadium.

Since 2018, the stadium has hosted the large hip-hop music festival Rolling Loud. The festival was held for its fourth consecutive year at the stadium from July 22 to July 24, 2022, and featured headliners including Ye, Future, and Kendrick Lamar.

In film
Three films have been shot at the stadium:

 * 1994: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which starred Jim Carrey and featured former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino as himself
 * 1999: Any Given Sunday, starring Al Pacino and directed by Oliver Stone
 * 2008: Marley and Me, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston

Naming rights
The stadium has gone through many name changes, bringing up a question of the value of corporate naming rights.

During the planning and building phase of the stadium, the stadium was referred to as Dolphin Stadium. Joe Robbie, the original and then-owner of the Miami Dolphins and the new stadium, did not want the stadium named after himself, saying, "I didn't want them to name it after me. But they insisted, and I guess I'm only human." The stadium opened on August 16, 1987, as Joe Robbie Stadium.

In the early 1990s, Wayne Huizenga gained control of the stadium. Huizenga first sold the naming rights to Pro Player, the sports apparel division of Fruit of the Loom, and the stadium became Pro Player Park on August 26, 1996. After the Dolphins opened the 1996 season there, the stadium was renamed Pro Player Stadium before the team returned home in week 3. The Marlins' 1996 season was played when the stadium was known under three different names, having started the year under the Joe Robbie name.

Fruit of the Loom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999, and the Pro Player brand was ultimately liquidated in 2001, but the stadium name held for several more years. In January 2005, the stadium was renamed Dolphins Stadium, coinciding with a renovation of the stadium. In April 2006, it was renamed Dolphin Stadium in an update of graphics and logos.

From February 2008 to January 2009, Stephen M. Ross gradually acquired 95% of the stadium and surrounding land. He then partnered with Jimmy Buffett to change the name once more, this time to Land Shark Stadium after a beer brewed for Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant chain. The renaming was announced on May 8, 2009, but would last less than a year as the deal did not include rights for the upcoming 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV.

On January 20, 2010, Canadian financial services company Sun Life Financial announced that it had acquired the naming rights. Sun Life Financial announced in 2012, that it will be exiting the U.S. annuity business and focusing on its employee benefits business in the U.S. On August 14, 2015, the Dolphins told the Miami Herald that Sun Life's deal would expire in January 2016, and that the team had no plans to renew, wanting to position its renovated stadium as a brand new entity. The team also stated that it would remove Sun Life's signage upon expiration of the deal, regardless of its ability to find a replacement sponsor before then. During renovations, the stadium was known as New Miami Stadium.

On August 17, 2016, the Dolphins announced that the naming rights had been sold to Hard Rock Cafe International, and that the stadium would be renamed Hard Rock Stadium. The new name was notably ridiculed by fans of the Florida State Seminoles, as the Seminole Tribe of Florida are the owners of the Hard Rock Cafe chain, but the stadium is the host of their rivals, the University of Miami Hurricanes.

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Llanelli

Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary and is also the largest town in the county of Carmarthenshire.

The town is 11 mi north-west of Swansea and 12 mi south-east of Carmarthen. The town had a population of 25,168 in 2011, estimated in 2019 at 26,225. The local authority was Llanelli Borough Council when the county of Dyfed existed, but it has been under Carmarthenshire County Council since 1996.

Spelling
The anglicised spelling “Llanelly” was used until 1966, when it was changed to Llanelli after a local public campaign. It remains in the name of a local historic building, Llanelly House, and this is sometimes confused with the village and parish of Llanelly, in south-east Wales near Abergavenny.

Llanelly in Victoria, Australia was named after this town of Llanelli, using the spelling current at that time.

History
The beginnings of Llanelli can be found on the lands of present-day Parc Howard. An Iron Age hill fort once stood which was called Bryn-Caerau (hill of the forts). Evidence suggests there were five hill forts from Old Road to the Dimpath. During the Roman conquest of Wales it is unknown whether the area of Llanelli was part of the Silures tribe or the Demetae tribe. There is evidence of a Roman camp near St Elli shopping centre but it is unknown when it was built, and it was completely abandoned shortly after construction either due to the Romans thinking the area was completely worthless or due to a raid by either rebellious local Britons or an Irish raid. During the post-Roman period, the area of Llanelli may have been heavily populated with Pagans as there's evidence of a pagan worship church under the Saint Elli church, it may have had frequent raids from Brycheiniog and Dyfed in order to Christianise the area to which it would eventually fall into Dyfed. During the early medieval period, it is said a saint named Elli, or Ellyw, who in legend is the son or daughter of King Brychan established a church on the banks of the Afon Lliedi. The original church would have been a wooden or partly stone, thatched structure. According to early Welsh transcripts, the church of Carnwyllion, i.e. the mother church of the cwmwd, was at Llanelli. The current St Elli's Church dates from the 14th century although extensive restorations were completed in 1911.

According to the Red Book of Hergest during the Norman invasion of Wales Rhys Ieuanc and his uncle Maelgwn ap Rhys took the allegiance of all the Welsh of the Kingdom of Dyfed apart from one region. Cemais would not pay allegiance and thus Rhys Ieuanc and his uncle, Maelgwn ap Rhys, attacked and pillaged the area moving on to attack the castles at Narberth and Maenclochog. At this time Rhys Ieuanc moved against Cedweli and Carnwyllion with his forces besieging and burning Carnwyllion Castle in 1215.

Llanelli was industrialised in the early 19th century as the global centre for tinplate production. Lying near the Western fringe of the South Wales Coal Field, Llanelli played an important role in industry, with coal exported through three small docks along with the copper and tin produced within the town itself. Although Llanelli is not located within the South Wales valleys, coal from the Gwendraeth and the Loughor Valleys was transported to Llanelli for export. The Stepney Family and other prominent families (including the Raby family, Howard family and Cowell family), played an important role in the development of the town. Aside from industry, Llanelli is also renowned for its pottery, which has a unique cockerel hand-painted on each item. A collection of this pottery can bee seen at the Llanelli Museum in Parc Howard.

Llanelli people are sometimes nicknamed "Turks". There are several theories on this nickname: Llanelli allowed the docking of a Turkish ship when Swansea dockers were on strike in the 1920s, Llanelli tinplate workers wrapped their heads like turbans to deal with sweat, or it is a reference to the 4th Battalion of the Welch Regiment fighting against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I.

Several communities nearby may be included colloquially in Llanelli.

In 2024 it was announced that the town would be seeking city status.

National Eisteddfod
Llanelli hosted the National Eisteddfod six times between 1895 and 2014.

Welsh language
In the mid-20th century, Llanelli was the world's largest town in which more than half the inhabitants spoke a Celtic language. It is ranked as the seventh largest urban area in Wales. According to the 2011 UK Census returns, 23.7 per cent of Llanelli town residents habitually spoke Welsh. However, the area around Llanelli is a Welsh stronghold, in which 56 per cent do so in communities such as Llwynhendy and Burry Port.

During the 1950s, Trefor and Eileen Beasley campaigned to get Llanelli Rural Council to distribute tax papers in Welsh by refusing to pay taxes until their demand was met. The council reacted by sending in the bailiffs and selling their furniture to recover the money owed. The Beasleys' neighbours bought the furniture and returned it to them. The council finally reversed its policy in the 1960s, giving Welsh equal status with English.

Economy
In 1991 Llanelli was a distinct travel to work area, but a 2001-based revision has merged it into a wider one of Swansea Bay.

Manufacture
Several firms, including Tata Steel Europe tinplate at Trostre and Dyfed Steels, are based in the Llanelli area and service the automotive industry. The Technium Performance Engineering Centre was developed at Llanelli Gate as a business incubator for businesses in the automotive, motor sport and aerospace sectors.

The traditional industries of Llanelli have gradually declined in recent decades. Local government has responded by seeking to attract tourism with developments such as the Machynys Golf Course, retail parks at Trostre and Pemberton, and the Millennium Coastal Park. The core shopping area has now moved largely from the town centre to the Trostre/Pemberton area.

Brewing
The longstanding Felinfoel Brewery continues in Felinfoel, just outside the town.

Rev. James Buckley was an ordained Methodist minister, born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1770, who after moving to Llanelli towards the end of the 18th century became involved in establishing a small brewery. After the death of the owner, Buckley gained possession of the brewery and changed its name to Buckley's. In 1998, the brewery was bought by Brains Brewery, which transferred production to its facility in Cardiff. However, Brains continues to produce The Reverend James, a bitter named in Buckley's memory. Since then the Llanelli brewery has been partly demolished.

Leisure and tourism
In the past decade, the longstanding emphasis on heavy industry has shifted towards the tertiary sector employment in leisure and tourism. Ongoing developments include the new Llanelli Scarlets rugby stadium, the Old Castle Works leisure village (see below) and a National Hunt racecourse at Ffos Las near Trimsaran. Machynys Ponds, a Site of Special Scientific Interest notable for its dragonfly population, lies a mile to the south.

Church in Wales
The parish church of St Elli has a medieval tower. The body of the church was rebuilt by G. F. Bodley in 1905–1906. It is a Grade II* listed building. Several other churches in the town are also listed buildings, but made redundant by the Church in Wales and now in private ownership. They include All Saints' and St Alban's.

Nonconformism
From the early 19th to late 20th centuries, Llanelli was a major centre of Welsh nonconformism. At the end of the Second World War there were 22 chapels in the town. The history of the chapels has been chronicled in a book by the former BBC journalist Huw Edwards. Edwards noted that many of the chapels had closed and others were in sharp decline, he suggested that if the decline continued, only two or three were likely to survive as functioning chapels in the 2020s.

The most well known of Llanelli's chapels is probably Capel Als, where David Rees was a minister for many years in the 19th century. Llanelli had seven other Independent (Congregationalist) chapels, namely Tabernacle, Lloyd Street, Siloah now closed, Soar now closed, Ebenezer, Dock Chapel, and Park Church (the only chapel where services were conducted in English). The Tabernacle Chapel built in 1872–1873 by John Humphreys of Morriston overlooks the Town Hall. There is a prominent four-pillared Corinthian arcade at the entrance. The building was Grade II* listed in December 1992. It is used as a venue by the Llanelli Choral Society. Other listed chapels include Bethel Baptist Chapel in Copperworks Road, Park Congregational Chapel, Zion Baptist Chapel at Island Place, and Hall Street Methodist Church.

Situated on Waunlanyrafon, across the road from the police station, is the Roman Catholic Church, Our Lady Queen of Peace Church.

Llanelli has an Islamic centre on Station Road and Baptist churches spread throughout the town and surrounding areas.

Rugby union
The town's rugby union teams – the Scarlets, who compete in the Pro14, and Llanelli RFC in the Welsh Premiership – play at Parc y Scarlets, which opened in November 2008 in Pemberton. Previously they had played at Stradey Park, home to Llanelli RFC for over 130 years and one venue used for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, hosting the match between Argentina and Samoa on 10 October 1999.

The Welsh folk song "Sosban Fach" (Little Saucepan) is mostly associated with Llanelli RFC.

Many rugby clubs have notable scalps collected from touring international sides but Llanelli has in its rugby history one of the greatest scalps ever. On 31 October 1972, in one of the most famous results in rugby union history, Llanelli beat the New Zealand national team 9–3 in front of around 20,000 spectators. Llanelli centre Roy Bergiers scored the only try of the game, charging down a clearance by All Black scrum-half Lin Colling after a penalty from Phil Bennett rebounded back into play off the crossbar.

There is a strong junior rugby core, including club sides such as Felinfoel, New Dock Stars, Llangennech and the Llanelli Wanderers. In 2005, Coedcae School won the Inter-Schools Cup of Wales with an 8–5 victory over Brynteg Comprehensive.

Rugby league
Llanelli's West Wales Raiders play in RFL League 1, the third tier of rugby league in England and Wales. The club is based at Stebonheath Park.

Association football
Stebonheath Park is the home of football club Llanelli A.F.C., which plays in the Cymru South. The town has many active local teams and tournaments such as the 2018 Challenge Cup, where West End United beat Trostre Sports AFC.

Bowls
Llanelli hosts the annual Llanelli Open Bowls Tournaments, the oldest and most prestigious of which, the Roberts-Rolfe Open Singles event, has been run since 1926 and has a first prize of £600. The contests are held from July to September in Parc Howard.

Golf
The Llanelli area has two golf courses: the Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club which hosted the Wales Ladies Championship of Europe from 2005 until 2008, and Glyn Abbey Golf Club, which was named Welsh Golf Club of the Year 2009.

Snooker
Llanelli is the birthplace and home of Terry Griffiths OBE, snooker world champion in 1979 and runner-up in 1988. Now a coach and snooker commentator, he runs the Terry Griffiths Matchroom in the town centre.

Media
Llanelli is home to Tinopolis, one of Britain's largest independent media producers. It has subsidiaries that produce over 2,500 hours of broadcast television, including English language programmes such as Question Time for the BBC and Welsh-language television programs such as Wedi 7 for S4C.

Coverage of local affairs appears in two papers, the Llanelli Star founded in 1909 and Llanelli Herald launched in 2015. Online coverage is found on Llanelli Online. The main county-wide radio station is Radio Carmarthenshire. Other radio stations covering the area are Hits Radio South Wales, its sister station Greatest Hits Radio South Wales, Swansea Bay Radio, Radio BGM, which serves the Prince Philip Hospital and the local community online, and Heart South Wales.

Local attractions
Some local attractions include:
 * The Millennium Coastal Path along 13 mi of coastline from Loughor to Pembrey offers views of the Gower Peninsula and the opportunity of traffic-free cycling.
 * WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre, about 1 mi east of Llanelli, near Llwynhendy and Bynea, is one of ten wetland nature reserves managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.
 * Llanelly House is an example of an early 18th-century Georgian town house. Located directly opposite the parish church, having been in a poor state of repair, was bought by the town council and restored. It was built for Thomas Stepney, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carmarthenshire, in 1714. John Wesley, the early leader of the Methodist movement, stayed there several times. It also featured in the first series of the BBC television show, Restoration.
 * Parc Howard Museum is set in the grounds of Parc Howard. The museum houses a collection of Llanelly Pottery (so spelt), an art collection and material on the history of the town.

Leisure
The Ffwrnes Theatre opened in late 2012, replacing the Theatr Elli, which was part of the Llanelli Entertainment Centre. A multi-screen cinema opened in October 2012. Much is being spent on regenerating the central shopping district.

Llanelli holds festivals, carnivals and events throughout the year. They include:
 * Welsh International Open, a competition of the World Bowls Tour (February)
 * Into the Future Festival — educational event about the environment and technology, organised by the county council (August)
 * Llanelli Big Day Out — pop and live music event (August)
 * Llanelli Beer Festival — official CAMRA event (August)
 * Llanelli Christmas Carnival (November)
 * Llanelli Ramblers Festival of Walks, an annual walking festival, late Spring Bank Holiday weekend (May)
 * Llanelli Pride (first Saturday in August)

Transport
Llanelli is linked with the M4 motorway via the A4138 and with Swansea via the Loughor Bridge on the A484. It is served by regular bus services between Swansea and Carmarthen and a National Express service to London.

Services from Llanelli railway station on the Great Western Crescent south of the town centre connect with Fishguard Harbour and Swansea along the West Wales Line. It is the terminus of the Heart of Wales Line for Craven Arms and Shrewsbury. There are daily Great Western Railway services with London Paddington and regular services with Cardiff Central and Manchester Piccadilly. The district is also served by stations at Bynea, Llangennech, Pembrey & Burry Port and Kidwelly.

Llanelli is connected to the National Cycle Network from the north on NCR 43, and along the coast from the east and west on NCR 4. These routes link with a cycle path to the town centre.

The nearest passenger airport is Cardiff Airport, 50 mi away, although Pembrey, 2 mi, provides air charter services.

Primary and secondary
The first Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant, was founded in Llanelli in 1947. The English-medium secondary schools are St John Lloyd, Bryngwyn and Coedcae; the only Welsh medium secondary school is Ysgol y Strade. St Michael's School is a private school for ages 3–18. Ysgol Heol Goffa is a special school for pupils with disabilities.

Further and higher education
Coleg Sir Gâr (Carmarthenshire College), with its main campus at Graig near Pwll, provides a college education for most of the town's further education students and some vocational undergraduate degrees through the University of Wales. There are sixth form colleges at Ysgol Gyfun y Strade (Welsh medium) and St Michael's (English medium).

Prince Philip Hospital has a postgraduate centre for medical training run by Cardiff University's School of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education.

Government
Llanelli is in the ward of the same name parliamentary constituency, currently represented by the Labour party member Nia Griffith Member of Parliament (MP), and by the Senedd constituency of Labour's Lee Waters MS. Llanelli is run on a community level by Llanelli Town Council and Llanelli Rural Council (depending on the area of town) and Carmarthenshire County Council at local government level. Llanelli Rural Council addresses some part of the town, but mainly the Llanelli Rural community. Llanelli's politics has been Labour-dominated for decades. Its geographical location has led to a sense of exceptionalism in relation to the rest of Carmarthenshire, which is dominated by Plaid Cymru. In reaction to this, there have been calls to reinstate the local government district of Llanelli either as a county or as the City of Llanelli.

The community of Llanelli is bordered by those of Llanelli Rural, Llanrhidian Higher and Llanrhidian Lower, the last two being in the City and County of Swansea. Llanelli Borough Council, based at Llanelli Town Hall, was the area local authority until Carmarthenshire County Council became the unitary authority in 1996.

In 2024 the town's council voiced its support for a bid to become a city.

Twinning
Llanelli is twinned with 🇫🇷 Agen, France.

Town areas

 * Bigyn
 * Glanymôr
 * Llannerch
 * Machynys
 * Morfa
 * Tyisha
 * New Dock
 * Sandy
 * Stradey

Settlements near Llanelli
• Llwynhendy

• Burry Port

• Bynea

• Pwll

• Felinfoel

• Dafen

• Carway

• Furnace

• Pemberton

• Llangennech

• Hendy

• Cwmbach

• Trimsaran

• Bryn

• Pen-y-graig

• Cwmcarnhywel

• Five Roads

• Cynheidre

• Horeb

Llanelli Waterside
Llanelli Waterside, a joint venture between Carmarthenshire County Council and the Welsh Assembly Government, aims to transform the waterfront into a business, leisure and residential community. There are two seafront housing developments under construction. Pentre Nicklaus Village, located on the Machynys Peninsula has been criticised for being above the price range for local people. Pentre Doc Y Gogledd (North Dock Village) in the historic North Dock area is nearing completion by the firm of David McLean.

Notable people

 * See Category:People from Llanelli

Notable Llanelli people with a Wikipedia page in alphabetical order by section:

Art, media and entertainment

 * Juliet Ace (born 1938), playwright and dramatist
 * Simon Armstrong (living), film, television and stage actor
 * David Brazell (1875–1959), opera singer and early recording artist
 * Ronald Cass (1923–2006), film writer and composer
 * Eleanor Daniels (1886–1994), stage and silent film actress
 * Huw Edwards (born 1961), BBC News chief presenter
 * Cerith Wyn Evans (born 1958) conceptual artist, sculptor and film-maker
 * Peter Anthony Freeman (living), author and storyteller
 * Jessica Garlick (born 1981), Eurovision Song Contest 2002 UK entrant and Pop Idol finalist
 * Gareth Hughes (1894–1965), silent film actor, born in Halfway/Pemberton
 * Julie Gore (born 1958), singer, songwriter, TV presenter and darts player
 * James Dickson Innes (1887–1914), artist
 * Deke Leonard (1944–2017), rock musician, author, raconteur and TV panellist
 * Elizabeth Morgan (born 1930), actress and writer
 * Terry Morris (born 1965), artist and photographer
 * Natasha O'Keeffe (born 1986), television actress
 * John Owen-Jones (born 1971), actor
 * Christopher Rees (born 1973), singer, songwriter and musician
 * Rachel Roberts (1927–1980), actress
 * Dorothy Squires (1915–1998), singer and second wife of actor Roger Moore
 * Donald Swann (1923–1994), of the Flanders and Swann duo
 * Huw Thomas (1927–2009), ITN newscaster
 * Imogen Thomas (born 1982), Big Brother contestant and glamour model
 * Jeffrey Thomas (born 1945), acting star of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

Public service

 * Robert Buckland (born 1968), Conservative Lord Chancellor
 * Leslie Griffiths (born 1942), Methodist minister and life peer
 * Michael Howard (born 1941), Conservative Party leader (2003–2005)
 * Lord Elwyn Jones (1909–1989), Labour Lord Chancellor
 * William Lloyd (1725–1796), Royal Navy admiral
 * Gwladys Yvonne McKeon (1897–1979), Llanelli-born Australian marine biologist
 * Sir Tom O'Brien (1900–1970), Labour MP and trade unionist
 * Rod Richards (1947–2019), Conservative MP and leader in the National Assembly for Wales
 * Sir John Stepney, 8th Baronet (1743–1811), a Welsh MP from 1767 to 1788.
 * David Thomas (1880–1967), Labour organizer and trade unionist
 * Sir John Meurig Thomas (1932–2020), chemist and science historian
 * Brian Trubshaw (1924–2001), pilot of first flight of British Concorde
 * Phil Prosser (living), British army brigadier, Commander of 101 Logistics Brigade in charge of COVID-19 vaccine roll-out

Rugby Union

 * Phil Bennett (1948–2022), Wales and British Lions
 * Jonathan Davies (born 1962), Wales in rugby league and rugby union
 * Ieuan Evans (born 1964), Wales and British Lions
 * Ray Gravell (1951–2007), Wales and British Lions, actor and broadcaster.
 * Carwyn James (1929–1983), Wales, coach of Llanelli and British Lions
 * Gareth Jenkins (born 1951), Wales, coach of Llanelli, Llanelli Scarlets and Wales
 * Barry John (born 1945), Cardiff, Wales and British Lions
 * Dwayne Peel (born 1981), Wales and British Lions
 * Derek Quinnell (born 1949), Wales and British Lions

Association football

 * Wyndham Evans (born 1951), player, manager and commentator
 * Emyr Huws (born 1993), Wales and Ipswich Town F.C.
 * Matthew Jones (born 1980), Wales and premier league footballer and manager
 * Kyle Letheren (born 1987), Plymouth Argyle F.C. goalkeeper
 * Byron Stevenson (1956–2007), Wales

Other sports

 * Jonny Clayton (born 1974), professional dart player
 * Jeff Evans (born 1954), cricket umpire
 * Dai Greene (born 1986), 400m hurdler, world champion and IAAF gold medalist
 * Terry Griffiths (born 1947), world snooker champion (1979)
 * Neil Haddock (born 1964), boxer, British superfeatherweight champion
 * Evan Hoyt (born 1995), professional tennis
 * Edward Laverack (born 1994), professional cyclist
 * Flex Lewis (born 1983), bodybuilder
 * Melbourne Tierney (1923–2014), rugby league
 * Eirian Williams (born 1955), snooker referee

title: Llanelli


text:
Ficus rubiginosa

Ficus rubiginosa, the rusty fig or Port Jackson fig (damun in the Dharug language), is a species of flowering plant native to eastern Australia in the genus Ficus. Beginning as a seedling that grows on other plants (hemiepiphyte) or rocks (lithophyte), F. rubiginosa matures into a tree 30 m high and nearly as wide with a yellow-brown buttressed trunk. The leaves are oval and glossy green and measure from 4 to(-) long and 1.25 to(-) wide.

The fruits are small, round, and yellow, and can ripen and turn red at any time of year, peaking in spring and summer. Like all figs, the fruit is in the form of a syconium, an inverted inflorescence with the flowers lining an internal cavity. F. rubiginosa is exclusively pollinated by the fig wasp species Pleistodontes imperialis, which may comprise four cryptospecies. The syconia are also home to another fourteen species of wasp, some of which induce galls while others parasitise the pollinator wasps and at least two species of nematode. Many species of bird, including pigeons, parrots, and various passerines, eat the fruit. Ranging along the Australian east coast from Queensland to Bega in southern New South Wales (including the Port Jackson area, leading to its alternative name), F. rubiginosa grows in rainforest margins and rocky outcrops. It is used as a shade tree in parks and public spaces, and when potted is well-suited for use as an indoor plant or in bonsai.

Taxonomy
Ficus rubiginosa was described by French botanist René Louiche Desfontaines in 1804, from a type specimen whose locality is documented simply as "New Holland". In searching for the type specimen, Australian botanist Dale Dixon found one from the herbarium of Desfontaines at Florence Herbarium and one from the herbarium of Étienne Pierre Ventenat at Geneva. As Ventenat had used Desfontaines' name, Dixon selected the Florence specimen to be the type in 2001. The specific epithet rubiginosa related to the rusty coloration of the undersides of the leaves. Indeed, rusty fig is an alternate common name; others include Illawarra fig and Port Jackson fig. It was known as damun (pron. "tam-mun") to the Eora and Darug inhabitants of the Sydney basin.

In 1806, German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow gave it the botanical name Ficus australis in Species Plantarum, but this is a nomen illegitimum as the species already had a validly published name. Italian botanist Guglielmo Gasparrini broke up the genus Ficus in 1844, placing the species in the genus Urostigma as U. rubiginosum. In 1862, Dutch botanist Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel described Urostigma leichhardtii from material collected from Cape Cleveland, Queensland, noting it had affinities to F. rubiginosa. In 1867, he placed Urostigma as a subgenus in the reunited Ficus, which resulted in the taxon becoming Ficus leichhardtii. Miquel also described Ficus leichhardtii variety angustata from Whitsunday Island, later classified as F. shirleyana by Czech botanist Karel Domin. Queensland state botanist Frederick Manson Bailey described Ficus macrophylla variety pubescens in 1911 from Queensland, Domin later renaming it Ficus baileyana. All these taxa were found to be indistinguishable from (and hence reclassified as) F. rubiginosa by Dixon in 2001.

In a study published in 2008, Nina Rønsted and colleagues analysed the DNA sequences from the nuclear ribosomal internal and external transcribed spacers, and the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase region, in the first molecular analysis of the section Malvanthera. They found F. rubiginosa to be most closely related to the rainforest species F. watkinsiana and two rock-growing (lithophytic) species of arid northern Australia (F. atricha and F. brachypoda). They classified these species in a new series Rubiginosae in the subsection Platypodeae. Relationships are unclear and it is uncertain into which direction the group radiated (into rainforest or into arid Australia).

Joseph Maiden described variety lucida in 1902, and Bailey described variety glabrescens in 1913. Both had diagnosed their varieties on the basis of their hairlessness. Maiden described a taxon totally devoid of hair, while Bailey described his as nearly glabrous (hairless). As Bailey's description more closely matched Dixon's findings (that these variants were only partly and not completely hairless), Dixon retained Bailey's name and reclassified it as Ficus rubiginosa forma glabrescens in 2001 as it differed only in the lack of hairs on new growth from the nominate form.

Description
A spreading, densely-shading tree when mature, F. rubiginosa may reach 30 m or more in height, although it rarely exceeds 10 m in the Sydney region.

The trunk is buttressed and can reach 1.5 m in diameter. The bark is yellow-brown. It can also grow as on other plants as a hemiepiphyte, or 1 - 5 m high lithophyte.

Alternately arranged on the stems, the ovate (egg-shaped), obovate (reverse egg-shaped) or oval-shaped leaves are anywhere from 4 - 19.3 cm long and 1.25 - 13.2 cm wide, on 7 - 8.2 cm-long petioles (stalks that join the leaves to stems). They are smooth or bear tiny rusty hairs. There are 16 to 62 pairs of lateral veins that run off the midvein at an angle of 41.5–84.0°, while distinct basal veins run off the midvein at an angle of 18.5–78.9°.

As with all figs, the fruit (fig) is actually an inverted inflorescence (compound flower) known as a syconium, with tiny flowers arising from the fig's inner surface into a hollow cavity. F. rubiginosa is monoecious—both male and female flowers are found on the same plant, and in fact in the same fruit, although they mature at different times. Often growing in pairs, the figs are yellow initially and measure 4 - 10 mm across. Ripening to red in colour, they are tipped with a small nipple and on a 2 - 5 mm stalk. Fruits ripen throughout the year, although more so in spring and summer. Some trees have ripe and unripe fruit at the same time.

It closely resembles its relative, the Moreton Bay fig (F. macrophylla). Having similar ranges in the wild, they are often confused.

The smaller leaves, shorter fruit stalks, and rusty colour of the undersides of the leaves of F. rubiginosa are the easiest distinguishing features. It is also confused with the small-leaved fig (F. obliqua), the syconia of which are smaller, measuring 4–12 mm long and 4–11 mm in diameter, compared with 7–17 mm long and 8–17 mm diameter for F. rubiginosa.

Distribution and habitat
Ficus rubiginosa's range spans the entire eastern coastline of Australia, from the top of the Cape York Peninsula in north Queensland to the vicinity of Bega on the south coast of New South Wales. The range extends westwards to Porcupine Gorge National Park in Queensland and the far western plains in New South Wales. F. rubiginosa f. rubiginosa and F. rubiginosa f. glabrescens are found over most of the range, though the latter does not occur south past the New South Wales-Queensland border region. Lithophytic, hemiepiphytic, and tree forms can be found together in local populations of plants.

F. rubiginosa is found in rainforest, rainforest margins, gullies, riverbank habitat, vine thickets, and rocky hillsides. It is found on limestone outcrops in Kanangra-Boyd National Park. Fig seedlings often grow from cracks in stone where seeds have been lodged, in locations such as cliffs and rock faces in natural environments, or in brickwork on buildings and elsewhere in the urban environment. The soils it grows on are often well-drained and low in nutrients. They are derived from sandstone, quartzite, and basalt. In the Sydney region, F. rubiginosa grows from sea level to 1000 m (3500 ft) altitude, in areas with an average yearly rainfall of 600-1400 mm. F. rubiginosa is largely sympatric with F. obliqua, though its range extends further west into dryer regions than the latter species.

Outside its native range, F. rubiginosa has naturalised to some degree in urban Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia, as well as New Zealand, Hawaii and California, and Mediterranean Europe. F. rubiginosa has been planted widely in Malta since the early 1990s but has not been observed to fruit.

Ecology
The fruit is consumed by many bird species including the rose-crowned fruit dove (Ptilinopus regina), wompoo fruit dove (P. magnificus), wonga pigeon (Leucosarcia melanoleuca), topknot pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus), Pacific koel (Eudynamys orientalis), Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis), Australasian figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti), green catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris), regent bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus), satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) and pied currawong (Strepera graculina), as well as the mammalian grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), and spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus). It is one of several plant species used as food by the endangered Coxen's fig parrot. Many fruits drop onto the ground around the tree, though others are dispersed by animals that eat them.

The thrips species Gynaikothrips australis feeds on the underside of new leaves of F. rubiginosa, as well as F. obliqua and F. macrophylla. As plant cells die, nearby cells are induced into forming meristem tissue, and a gall results and the leaves become distorted and curl over. The thrips begin feeding when the tree has flushes of new growth, and live for around six weeks. At other times, thrips reside on old leaves without feeding. The species pupates sheltered in the bark. The thrips remain in the galls at night, wander about in the daytime and return in the evening, possibly to different galls about the tree. Psyllids have almost defoliated trees in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney in spring.

P. imperialis crossed the waters between Australia and New Zealand some time between 1960 and 1972, and seedlings of the previously infertile trees of F. rubiginosa began appearing in brick and stone walls, and on other trees, particularly in parks and gardens around Auckland. They have been recorded as far south as Napier. P. imperialis has been transported to Hawaii, California, and Israel, where it has been observed to pollinate its host.

They can live to 100 years or more and have been known to resprout after bushfire, bearing fruit within three years.

Other life in the syconia
As with many other Ficus species, the community of wasps inside the figs of F. rubiginosa is made up mostly of pollinator wasps. These develop deep inside the syconium, presumably protected there from parasites. Also present are much smaller numbers of other wasp species, which do not pollinate the fig. At least fourteen species have been recorded, of which four—two each belonging to the genera Sycoscapter and Philotrypesis—are common while others are rare. Investigation of F. rubiginosa syconia found that the fig seeds and parasitic wasps develop closer to the wall of the syconium. The wasps of the genera Sycoscapter and Philotrypesis are parasitic and are around the same size as the pollinator species. Their larvae are thought to feed on the larvae of the pollinator wasp. Male Sycoscapter and Philotrypesis wasps fight other males of the same species when they encounter each other in a F. rubiginosa fig. Several genera of uncommon larger wasp species enter the immature figs before other wasps and induce galls, which may impact on numbers of pollinator wasps in the fig later. An example of this is Pseudidarnes minerva, a metallic green wasp species.

Nematodes of the genus Schistonchus are found in the syconia (and the pollinator wasps) of many species of fig, with F. rubiginosa hosting two species. They appear to be less species-specific than wasps. S. altermacrophylla is generally associated with F. rubiginosa though it has been recorded on several other fig species.

Cultivation
Ficus rubiginosa was first cultivated in the United Kingdom in 1789, where it is grown in glasshouses. It is commonly used as a large ornamental tree in eastern Australia, in the North Island of New Zealand, and also in Hawaii and California, where it is also listed as an invasive species in some areas. It is useful as a shade tree in public parks and on golf courses. Not as prodigious as other figs, F. rubiginosa is suited to slightly more confined areas, such as lining car parks or suburban streets. However, surface roots can be large and intrusive and the thin bark readily damaged when struck. Tolerant of acid or alkaline soils, it is hardy to US Hardiness Zones 10B and 11, reaching 10 m high in 30 years. Planting trees 8 - 12 m apart will eventually result in a continuous canopy. The trees are of great value in providing fruit for birds and mammals, though drop large quantities of fruit and leaves, leaving a mess underfoot.

In a brief description, William Guilfoyle recorded a variegated fig from New South Wales "12–15 ft high" in 1911 as F. rubiginosa variety variegata. A variegated form is in cultivation on Australia's east coast, and in the United States. It is a chimera lacking in chlorophyll in the second layer of the leaf meristem. The leaves have an irregular central green patch along the midvein with irregular yellow and green elsewhere. Leaves that grow in winter generally have larger green patches than those that do in summer. The chimera is unstable, and branches of all-green growth appear sporadically.

Despite the relatively large size of the leaves, it is popular for bonsai work as it is highly forgiving to work with and hard to kill; the leaves reduce readily by leaf-pruning in early summer. Described as the best tree for a beginner to work with, it is one of the most frequently used native species in Australia. Its bark remains smooth, and does not attain a rugged, aged appearance. Known as "Little Ruby", a narrow-leaved form with its origins somewhere north of Sydney is also seen in cultivation.

F. rubiginosa is also suited for use as a houseplant in low, medium or brightly lit spaces, although a variegated form requires brighter light. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is easily propagated by cuttings or aerial layering.

The light-coloured wood is soft and brittle. Lightweight, it has some value in the making of such items as toys and small boxes.

title: Ficus rubiginosa


text:
Talk:Kristallnacht

Number of victims
At least 400 Jews were murdered. It is pathetic - and typical of Wikipedia - to minimise this by writing 91+.

Why the name change?
The Radio Times site says "Kristallnacht (which Germans prefer to call the November pogrom now)", but does not explain why this has changed "now". What is the reason for the change, and is it true that there is consensus among Germans on this? 2.31.162.104 (talk) 18:54, 16 June 2022 (UTC)

This was referred to by a German historian in a recent episode of the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? (hence the piece in Radio Times). It's also worth noting that the version of this article on German Wikipedia is called "Novemberpogrome 1938" (November pogroms of 1938), and the text describes the name Kristallnacht as cynical and euphemistic, due to the perception that it belittles the suffering of the victims. I think it's worth having a debate about whether to also change the name on English Wikipedia. Mark and inwardly digest (talk) 16:46, 21 July 2022 (UTC)
 * Our job is to report what the reliable published sources say, and in English language history books and articles they overwhelmingly use "Kristallnacht". Change the title and thousands of students will get lost. Rjensen (talk) 18:05, 21 July 2022 (UTC)
 * That is a weak argument. The term is overwhelmingly criticized in German and European historical circles as outdated. Not sure which historians you refer to, but quoting historians from the 20th century wouldn’t really support your argument. It is also a term the Nazis framed. I don’t think Wiki should use Nazi terminology which is clearly meant to minimize what happened FantinoFalco (talk) 03:44, 10 November 2023 (UTC)

FWIW, Germans actually seem to call it Die Reichspogromnacht. For example, a newspaper article from two days ago: https://m.bild.de/geld/wirtschaft/wirtschaft/zum-pogromnacht-gedenken-kfc-verschickt-versehentlich-geschmacklos-push-81890356.bildMobile.html

I wouldn't rename this page yet, as WP:COMMONNAME applies. I think a new section "Historiography of naming" would be appropriate with a link from the lead to "see: naming" that explains why Germans consider the naming problematic today. I would say de:Novemberpogrome 1938 is a good starting point.-Ich (talk) 15:03, 3 November 2023 (UTC)
 * I was BOLD and translated the entire section from the German wiki. It probably needs to be edited for length but I think covers the debate pretty well.-Ich (talk) 22:20, 3 November 2023 (UTC)
 * explains it pretty well. We should change the term to November Pogroms to not continue using Nazi euphemisms FantinoFalco (talk) 03:47, 10 November 2023 (UTC)
 * The common name in English is still Kristallnacht. Wikipedia guidelines (WP:COMMONNAME) say the title should reflect common use, so before Wikipedia can change, society needs to change first. In the meantime, however, Wikipedia can and should document, using reliable sources, the historiography of the names used and the discussions surrounding their use.-Ich (talk) 18:41, 13 November 2023 (UTC)
 * I am working on a draft at User:Ich/sandbox. The original text is my translation from the German wiki but please feel free to make and suggest changes.-Ich (talk) 20:26, 13 November 2023 (UTC)

"Nazi diplomat Ernst vom Rath"
Is there any record of vom Rath being a member of the "Nazi" Party at the time of his murder? If not, it is inaccurate and defamatory to describe him as being a "Nazi diplomat," and he should be described as a "German diplomat."

Americans have rightly stopped using the World War II-era word "Japs" when referring to the Japanese people and Japanese military forces of World War II. The time is similarly long past to stop using the World War II-era "Nazi" as a catch-all term for all things German in the years 1933-1945. 06:08, 9 November 2023 (UTC) 2603:800C:3A40:6400:D53C:5356:BEB7:A3B0 (talk) 06:08, 9 November 2023 (UTC)

 * He joined the NSDAP on Nov 14, 1932. is that enough not to hurt his feelings? FantinoFalco (talk) 19:49, 18 November 2023 (UTC)

Poorly written
This paragraph is quite poorly written and inconsistent with other wiki sources

“The Polish government threatened to extradite all Jews who were Polish citizens but would stay in Germany, thus creating a burden of responsibility on the German side. The immediate reaction by the Gestapo was to push the Polish Jews—16,000 persons—over the borderline, but this measure failed due to the stubbornness of the Polish customs officers. The loss of prestige as a result of this abortive operation called for some sort of compensation. Thus, the overreaction to Herschel Grynszpan's attempt against the diplomat Ernst vom Rath came into being and led to the November pogrom. The background of the pogrom was signified by a sharp cleavage of interests between the different agencies of party and state. While the Nazi party was interested in improving its financial strength on the regional and local level by taking over Jewish property, Hermann Göring, in charge of the Four-Year Plan, hoped to acquire access to foreign currency in order to pay for the import of urgently-needed raw material. Heydrich and Himmler were interested in fostering Jewish emigration.”

(1) “extradite” is vague. The polish government request polish citizens outside Poland to have their passports stamps or lose their citizenship. (2) the Gestapo didn’t “push” Jews over the border, they attempted to deport 17,000 (3) The border guards were not “stubborn” they simply refused to admit many of the deportees. (4) Herschel Grynszpan did not make an “attempt”, Von Ruth was actually assassinated.

This all needs a lot of work to improve, and I don’t have the time. 2A00:23A8:C55:6601:90B1:E0E7:9C5E:1FC (talk) 10:24, 26 November 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Kristallnacht


text:
All Over the Guy

All Over the Guy is a 2001 American gay-themed romantic comedy film directed by Julie Davis and written by Dan Bucatinsky.

Plot
The film is told mostly in flashback; with Eli (Dan Bucatinsky) recounting his side to Esther (Doris Roberts), an HIV clinic worker as he waits for test results and Tom (Richard Ruccolo) telling his side to a man he meets at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Tom is the son of emotionally distant alcoholic WASP parents who never quite accepted his sexual orientation and as a result is a heavy drinker himself and has a penchant for random hookups with different men. Eli's parents are both Jewish psychiatrists who raised him to be emotionally open but ended up making him neurotic.

Tom and Eli are set up on a blind date by their best friends, Jackie (Sasha Alexander) and Brett (Adam Goldberg), who think they would be a perfect match. They both looking for 'The One', but don't recognize it when they find it. On the date, a boring evening is broken up only by an amusing diatribe by Tom against the movie In & Out. A few days later they run into each other at a flea market and hit it off, winding up back at Eli's place where Tom spends the night. The next morning Tom says that it was a mistake.

Jackie and Brett decide to try again to set them up, and the two men start to develop a relationship. Tom's fear of becoming emotionally close coupled with Eli's own insecurities makes it difficult for them to maintain, but Jackie and Brett get engaged which forces Tom and Eli together. They disguise their unease behind petty arguments over meaningless details of grammar and pronunciation but are finally able to push past the pettiness and make love. Eli tells Tom he loves him and Tom, terrified, lashes out at him the next day and drives him away.

The flashbacks end here on the day of Brett and Jackie's wedding. Esther tries to teach Eli to be more understanding of Tom's emotional needs. The AA member tries to sexually assault Tom and when he tells Jackie, she upbraids him for throwing Eli away for daring to fall for him. At the reception, Eli and Tom come to realize that they have to overcome their families' dysfunction and their own fears.

Release
All Over the Guy premiered in 2001, with a small band called Kara's Flowers on hand to perform at the after party. That band later changed its name to Maroon 5.

Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 43% out of 47 professional critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 4.9/10.

Kevin Maynard from Mr. Showbiz wrote “While both leads are appealing enough, it’s the stuff on the sidelines that keeps All Over the Guy entertaining.” Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote “A romantic comedy of wit and substance that actor-writer Dan Bucatinsky and director Julie Davis have moved gracefully from stage to screen with a change of title and sexual orientation.”

Albert Nowicki of Queer.pl praised the movie, called it "a classic of LGBT cinema," and noted: "This is a film about the struggles of dating, challenging each other, about dealing with problems and escaping from them. All Over the Guy doesn't feature faultless heroes, nor does it have perfectly articulated, calculated speeches that sound artificially and kitschy — like 'I'm just a girl...' from Notting Hill. Instead, we are presented with rationally outlined characters openly discussing their weaknesses. Natural performances from the actors make it easy to identify with them."

title: All Over the Guy


text:
Phillip Terry

Phillip Terry (born Frederick Henry Kormann; March 7, 1909 – February 23, 1993) was an American actor.

Early years
Terry "had elementary education in various schools in the oil country around Texas and Oklahoma." He attended Iona High School in New York and Sacred Heart College in San Francisco.

Career
After studying at the Royal Academy, he toured British provinces for four years performing in stock theater. He went to Hollywood and took a job with CBS Radio, where he performed in a number of plays on the air, specializing in Shakespearean roles. In 1937, a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talent scout heard him in one of these broadcasts and arranged an interview. Terry made a screen test and was awarded a contract with the studio. One of his first film appearances was in a bit part in the movie Mannequin (1937) starring Joan Crawford.

Two years later he signed with Paramount, where he starred in The Parson of Panamint, The Monster and the Girl in 1941. He then did supporting roles in Wake Island (1942) and Bataan (1943), the work on the latter occurring when he was on "loan-out" to MGM. During World War II Terry was classified "4F" unfit for military service due to defective vision. When he left Paramount, he signed with RKO and was in Music in Manhattan, George White's Scandals, Pan-Americana, Born to Kill and the lead in Seven Keys to Baldpate (1947). Terry appeared in more than eighty movies over the span of his career. Many of the early roles were small and often uncredited. But in the 1940s, he received bigger and more numerous roles in some quality movies, such as The Lost Weekend (1945) starring Ray Milland, and To Each His Own (1946) starring Olivia de Havilland, who won an Oscar as Best Actress for her performance in the film.

Marriages
On July 21, 1942, at the Hidden Valley Ranch in Ventura County, California, he married film star Joan Crawford. They were divorced in 1946. Irving Wallace, Amy Wallace, David Wallechinsky, and Sylvia Wallace wrote in their book, The Intimate Sex Lives of Famous People:"Despite her status as a single parent, in 1939 she [Crawford] began adoption proceedings for a baby girl, whom she named Joan Crawford, Jr. Months later Joan changed the child's name to Christina...During [her marriage to Phillip Terry] she adopted a second child — a boy — and named him Phillip Terry, Jr. Following her 1946 divorce from Terry, she renamed the boy Christopher Crawford."

Later years
Terry never completely abandoned acting. During the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, he took on occasional movie roles. Some of his better B movies from this period include The Leech Woman (1960), with Grant Williams, and The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966), with Mamie Van Doren. Sometimes he would accept television roles and was in episodes of The Name of the Game and Police Woman. He also made five guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of murder victim Robert Doniger in the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Gallant Grafter", and he played Lawrence Kent in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Resolute Reformer".

title: Phillip Terry


text:
Silver Slugger Award

The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.

These voters consider several offensive statistics, including batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, as well as their "general impressions of a player's overall offensive value". They are not permitted to vote for players on their team.

The award is a bat-shaped trophy, three feet (91 cm) tall, engraved with the names of each of the winners from the league and plated with sterling silver. It is given by Hillerich & Bradsby, the manufacturer of Louisville Slugger bats.

Ten Silver Slugger Awards are given each year per league. One each goes to a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. Three outfielders receive the award, irrespective of their specific position; for instance, three left fielders could win the award in a given year. One award goes to a designated hitter (a player who bats in place of the pitcher) and one to a utility player (a player who can play multiple fielding positions).

Pitchers in the National League received a Silver Slugger Award each year until 2019 and in 2021. In the COVID-shortened season, MLB allowed National League teams to use a designated hitter, so an NL DH received a Silver Slugger Award for the first time. In 2022, MLB permanently allowed both leagues to use the DH. That year also saw the introduction of the Utility Player Award.

Home run record-holder Barry Bonds won 12 Silver Slugger Awards, the most of any player, and won the award in five consecutive seasons twice: from 1990 to 1994, and again from 2000 to 2004. Mike Piazza and Alex Rodriguez are tied for second, with ten each. Piazza is also the winningest catcher, having won all ten playing at the position. Rodriguez won seven Silver Sluggers as a shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, and three with the Yankees as a third baseman. Wade Boggs leads third basemen with eight awards; Barry Larkin leads shortstops with nine. Other leaders include Ryne Sandberg (seven wins as a second baseman), Mike Hampton (five wins as a pitcher), and Paul Goldschmidt (five wins as a first baseman). David Ortiz has won seven awards as a designated hitter, the most at that position. In 2018, J. D. Martinez collected two Silver Slugger Awards: one as a designated hitter and the other as an outfielder, becoming the only player to win twice in one year. In 2021, Max Fried became the final pitcher to win a Silver Slugger Award.

American League winners
Source:

National League winners
Source:

(^) = A universal designated hitter rule was implemented temporarily during the MLB season and was fully implemented starting in ; the National League awarded its first Silver Slugger for DH in 2020. No award for pitchers was given.

title: Silver Slugger Award


text:
Shared parenting

Shared parenting, shared residence, joint residence, shared custody, joint physical custody, equal parenting time (EPT) is a child custody arrangement after divorce or separation, in which both parents share the responsibility of raising their child(ren), with equal or close to equal parenting time. A regime of shared parenting is based on the idea that children have the right to and benefit from a close relationship with both their parents, and that no child should be separated from a parent.

The term Shared Parenting is applied in cases of divorce, separation or when parents do not live together; in contrast, a shared earning/shared parenting marriage is a marriage where the partners choose to share the work of child-raising, earning money, house chores and recreation time in nearly equal fashion across all four domains. Shared parenting is different from split custody, where some children live primarily with their mother while one or more of their siblings live primarily with their father.

Bird's nest custody is an unusual but increasingly common form of shared parenting where the child always lives in the same home, while the two parents take turns living with the child in that home. Its long term use can be expensive as it requires three residences, and it is most commonly used as a temporary shared parenting arrangement until one parent has found a suitable home elsewhere.

Frequency
The popularity of shared parenting, or equal parenting time (EPT), has increased greatly in the past ten years. In Spain in 2022, for instance, 'Due to legal reforms, equal parenting time (EPT) laws in Spain now apply to approximately 40% of all divorces.' The frequency of shared parenting versus sole custody varies across countries, being most common in Scandinavia.

In a comparative survey of 34 western countries conducted from 2005 to 2006, the proportion of children aged 11 to 15 living in a shared parenting arrangement versus sole custody was highest in Sweden (17%), followed by Iceland (11%), Belgium (11%), Denmark (10%), Italy (9%) and Norway (9%). Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, Turkey, the Netherlands and Romania all had 2% or less. Among the English speaking countries, Canada and the United Kingdom had 7% while the United States and Ireland had 5%.

Shared parenting is increasing in popularity and it is particularly common in Scandinavia. Circa 2016-2017, the percentage in Sweden had increased to 28%; with 26% for children age 0–5 years, 34% among the 6-12 year old age group, and 23% among the oldest children ages 13–18.

Scientific research
Epidemiological studies on the effect of shared parenting on children has been conducted using both cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs. Their conclusions are that children with a shared parenting arrangement have better physical, mental, social and academic outcomes compared to children in a primary parenting arrangement. These finding holds for all age groups, whether the parents have an amicable or high-conflict relationship, and after adjusting for socio-economic variables.

With its early adoption of shared parenting and excellent health data, the largest studies on shared parenting have been conducted in Sweden. In a large cross-sectional study comparing over 50,000 children, ages 12 and 15, living in either a shared or sole custody arrangement, Dr. Malin Bergström found that children with shared parenting had better outcomes for physical health, psychological well-being, moods and emotions, self-perception, autonomy, parental relations, material outcomes, peer relations, school satisfaction and social acceptance. Using data from the same cross-sectional survey, Bergström did a follow-up study focusing on psychosomatic problems of concentration, sleeping, headaches, stomach aches, tenseness, lack of appetite, sadness and dizziness. They found that both boys and girls did better living in a shared parenting versus sole custody arrangement. Both studies adjusted for selected socio-economic variables.

A review of 60 quantitative research studies found that in 34 of the studies, children in a shared parenting arrangement had better outcomes on all measured variables for well-being, most notably for their family relationships, physical health, adolescent behavior and mental health. In 14 studies, they had better or equal outcomes on all measures, in 6 studies that had equal outcomes on all measures, and in 6 studies that had worse outcomes on one measure and equal or better outcomes on the remaining measures. The results were similar for the subset of studies that adjusted for socio-economic variables and the level of conflict between parents. The variable with the smallest difference was academic achievement, for which only 3 out 10 studies showed an advantage for shared parenting. Studies indicate that children fare better in joint custody arrangements, or where they have good access to both parents, as compared to sole custody arrangements.

Parental benefits
While the primary arguments for shared parenting is based on the child's best interest of having close contact with both parents in their daily life, there are also important advantages to the parents. Most parents enjoy spending time with their children, and with shared parenting, both parents have that joy in their life. Both parents also get child-free time to work or play without having to hire a baby sitter, which a sole custodial parent must do. Moreover, both parents get the same opportunity for career development and advancement. In fact, some argue that shared parenting is one critical component in the efforts to reduce the gender pay gap.

Criticism
Early criticism of shared parenting was based upon the assumptions (i) that children need one single primary attachment figure to bond with, (ii) that child development suffer from frequent moves back and forth between two households, and (iii) that one should not disrupt the status quo. Scientific research finds support for and against these assumptions. It is important that child-specific factors like parental temperament, environmental factors, and genetic factors are considered before attempting to determine how a specific parenting style will affect a child's Attachment Theory.

A second wave of criticism argued that shared parenting increases parental conflict and that shared parenting is only suitable for parents who get along well as co-parents. Once more, research has found support for and against this criticism. The science suggests the appropriateness of any parenting style must be decided on a case-by-case basis. Parents with mental illness, personality disorder, history of abuse, or history of substance abuse may make shared parenting a poor choice. Couples at high risk for interpersonal violence also do not make good shared parenting candidates.

A third wave of criticism acknowledges that shared parenting could be an appropriate custodial arrangement but argued that there should be no presumptions in family law, with each custody decision made based upon a judge's assessment of the best interest of a child. Critics also suggest that shared parenting requires more logistical coordination.

Legislation
Some legislatures have established a legal rebuttable presumption for shared parenting which favors shared parenting in most custody cases while allowing the court to order alternative arrangements based upon evidence that shared parenting would not be in the best interest of the children, such as in cases of parental child abuse or neglect. Bills promoting shared parenting have been introduced in Canada and the United States.

Italy
In 2006, Italy passed a law that made joint custody the default arrangement for separating couples. A study of the effect of the law suggested that the joint custody presumption increased the duration and complexity of custody litigation, but that it did not find evidence that parents were making concessions on the division of assets to "buy back" custody from the other parent.

United States
In 2018, Kentucky became the first jurisdiction to establish a legal presumption for shared parenting, after the house voted 81-2 and the senate voted 38–0 in favor, and after the bill was signed by governor Matt Bevin. Similar laws were passed by both chambers in Minnesota and Florida, but vetoed by the governors.

Some family lawyers and state bar associations have argued against a presumption of joint parenting. For example, concerns have been expressed that a presumption for joint custody might get in the way of negotiated custody outcomes that are better suited to the children, and joint custody might be inappropriately imposed upon couples who suffer unnecessary financial burdens or conflict as a result.

Advocacy
The advocacy for shared parenting is a world-wide movement. It is unified in its belief that shared parenting is in the best interest of children, and that it is a children's right issue. The gender perspective, however, varies greatly across nations. In Scandinavian countries, such as Iceland, it is commonly viewed as a gender equity issue with strong support from women's organizations. As a contrast, in North America, several organizations see it as a father's rights issue, and some women's organizations work against shared parenting, while other women are among the strongest advocates. As yet another contrast, in countries like Turkey and Iran, it is often seen as a women's right issue, as sole custody is commonly awarded to the father.

There are a number of organizations that advocate for shared parenting as being in the best interest of children:

title: Shared parenting