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Wales fans have been warned they risk missing kick-off for the sell-out Six Nations opening fixture against Scotland if they turn up for the match less than an hour before kick-off.

New security measures have been in place at the Principality Stadium since April 2017 - with the autumn internationals being the first rugby matches to be played under strict search and safety procedures.

The autumn fixtures encountered a few teething problems, with some supporters missing kick-off for the opening match against Australia due to increased queues outside the ground.

However, fans managed to make it into the ground before kick-off for the other three Tests.

But this is the first time that the stadium has hosted a Six Nations match under these new measures, with a sell-out visit of Scotland set to present a different challenge to the autumm.

And that is why the WRU are encouraging Wales fans to arrive as early as possible or risk being stuck in queues.

"The earlier you arrive, the quicker you'll get in. Gates open at 11.15am... please get in early," said Principality Stadium manager Mark Williams.

"A classic Wales match will once again be shown as live on the big screens before kick-off to supplement the entertainment available to supporters around the concourses.

As before, gates will open a three hours before kick-off rather than 90 minutes, while fans are also being advised to leave large bags and umbrellas at home.

Queuing times will be shortest between 11.15am and 12.15pm, while taking items including bags into the stadium will mean a longer entry time - with all bags being searched.

The WRU has run crowd analysis, with the results confirming that they cannot simply get 75,000 fans into the stadium in that final hour and a half while adhering to the new security measures.

"We have worked things out to the finest detail, we know we can get everyone in safely and securely and ensure they don't miss a minute of the game, but we need supporters to help us.

"To make things run smoothly we'd like to process more than 30,000 fans in the first hour and a half of gates opening.

That seems an ambitious total on the face of it, given that the most they achieved in the autumn was 25,000 for the All Blacks match, with just 4,000 going through the turnstiles in the same period for the Australia match.

The key message is that if too many people arrive within that final hour, there will be queues and fans could end up missing kick-off.

"One of the key things for fans to understand is that if you arrive early, the likelihood is that you will get in quicker and, conversely, the later you leave it the longer you may be in a queue and the greater the risk of you missing kick-off," added Williams.

"Enhanced security has been in place at all events at Principality Stadium since April 2017. The sole intent is enhanced safety and security for fans attending the stadium, taking into account the current security climate and more specifically UK terror threat levels.

"It's not something that our rugby supporters will be used to if they didn't come to a game in the autumn, but the new security measures are here to stay and have been installed in everyone's interests, so we are appealing to the fans for help."