Editing Scarlets (section)

===2003–2014===
{{For|history of pre-2003 Llanelli rugby|Llanelli RFC}}

====2003–04 season====
Largely drawn from the Llanelli RFC side that won the Welsh Cup the preceding year, the Scarlets carried that success forward into their inaugural season. They reached the last eight of the [[2003–04 Heineken Cup]] and finished the [[Pro14|Celtic League]] season as champions by four points over [[Ulster Rugby|Ulster]]. In the Heineken Cup, the Scarlets were drawn in Pool 4 along with [[Northampton Saints]], [[SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne|Agen]] and [[Border Reivers (rugby)|Borders]]. The Scarlets won five of their six matches, losing only to Agen, and finished top of their pool before losing to French club [[Biarritz Olympique|Biarritz]] 27–10 in the quarter-finals.

====2004–05 season====
[[File:Magners League Scarlets Vs. Glasgow.jpg|thumb|150px|Scarlets players during a league match against [[Glasgow Warriors]] in 2006]]
The following season, however, was less successful. Plagued by injuries and retirements, as well as the departure of influential fly-half [[Stephen Jones (rugby union)|Stephen Jones]] to [[ASM Clermont Auvergne|Clermont]], the Scarlets finished a disappointing fifth in the league. They were even less successful in the Heineken Cup, winning just two of their six pool games to finish third behind Northampton and [[Stade Toulousain|Toulouse]]. The salvation of their season came in reaching the final of the [[Celtic Cup (rugby union)|Celtic Cup]], which they lost 26–17 to [[Munster Rugby|Munster]].

====2005–06 season====
The Scarlets again failed to qualify from their Heineken Cup group in 2005–06 and finished sixth in the Celtic League. They did, however, find more success in the newly restructured [[Anglo-Welsh Cup]]. After finishing at the top of their pool, they defeated [[Bath Rugby|Bath]] by one point in the semi-finals to reach the final against [[Wasps RFC|London Wasps]] at [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]]; missing several international players, they lost 26–10. In the Heineken Cup, it was a similar story to the previous season, with the Scarlets winning two of their six fixtures to finish third in the pool again, behind Toulouse and Wasps. Despite finishing sixth in the Celtic League, the team qualified for the Heineken Cup for the 2006–07 season as the second-best-placed Welsh team in the league. They also re-signed Stephen Jones, and full-back Barry Davies extended his contract to stay with the Scarlets. The Scarlets' Director of Rugby, [[Gareth Jenkins]], had been appointed as Wales' national team coach, having been with the region since its inception. [[Phil Davies (rugby union)|Phil Davies]], then coach of [[Leeds Tykes]], replaced Jenkins at the Scarlets.<ref>{{cite news |title=Scarlets unveil Davies as coach |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/4790797.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=14 August 2006 |access-date=5 December 2006 }}</ref>

====2006–07 season====
At the first home game of the 2006–07 season, an information sheet was handed out to supporters with details of the club's financial situation. There was opposition by local residents to plans by the Scarlets to move to a new stadium and sell their current ground for housing development. The information sheet stated that, due to delays caused by the opposition and benefactors pulling out of the club, it was "extremely unlikely that [the Llanelli Scarlets] could survive to the end of the present season unless other financial assistance is found", which would result in "the loss, probably for all time, of professional rugby in West Wales." Local residents believed, however, that the infrastructure, such as roads and schools, will not cope with 450 new houses being built on the site. On 28 November 2006, the regions secured investment from Tim Griffiths, a London-based businessman.<ref>{{cite news |title=Scarlets 'saved' by new investor |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/llanelli_scarlets/6191096.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=28 November 2006 |access-date=5 December 2006 }}</ref>

In the [[2006–07 Heineken Cup]], the Scarlets recorded one of the most famous victories in their brief history as a region, defeating Toulouse 41–34 away, despite twice trailing by 21 points. This was an unexpected victory, despite the Scarlets having won their first three games of the 2006–07 competition. They later secured their place in the Heineken Cup quarter-final with a convincing 35–11 win over Ulster at [[Ravenhill Stadium|Ravenhill]]. The Scarlets went on to become only the fifth team in the history of the competition to win all their pool matches. They beat current holders Munster 24–15 at [[Stradey Park]] in the quarter-finals, but were beaten 33–17 in the semis by a strong [[Leicester Tigers]] side, putting an end to their hopes of making it 'third time lucky' in Heineken Cup semi-finals.

====2007–08 season====
On 30 April 2008, Phil Davies was replaced by [[Nigel Davies (rugby union)|Nigel Davies]] after a sixth-place finish in the Celtic League and an end of season slump.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 May 2008 |title=Scarlets turn to Nigel Davies |url=https://www.planetrugby.com/scarlets-turn-to-nigel-davies |access-date=12 October 2022}}</ref>

====2008–09 season====
The Scarlets moved from Stradey Park at the end of November 2008 to a new ground at Pemberton called [[Parc y Scarlets]]. The final Scarlets match played at Stradey Park was on 24 October 2008, against [[Bristol Rugby|Bristol]] in the group stage of the Anglo-Welsh Cup. The Scarlets won 27–0 in front of a capacity crowd, which included former Llanelli captains such as [[Delme Thomas]] and [[Phil Bennett]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Scarlets win on Stradey farewell |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/llanelli_scarlets/7685886.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=24 October 2008 |access-date=18 November 2008 }}</ref>

The Scarlets' first match at their new home was an 18–16 Celtic League defeat to Munster on 28 November 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Scarlets 16–18 Munster |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7750812.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=28 November 2008 |access-date=26 December 2008 }}</ref> Their first Heineken Cup match at Parc y Scarlets was held on 12 December against Ulster and finished in a 16–16 draw.<ref>{{cite news |title=Scarlets 16–16 Ulster |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7777554.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=12 December 2008 |access-date=26 December 2008 |first=Gareth |last=Roberts}}</ref> Both matches were held with reduced capacity, as law requires that a new stadium hold three events at reduced capacity before it is authorised for its full capacity. The official opening ceremony was on 31 January 2009, when the Scarlets faced the [[Barbarian F.C.|Barbarians]].

====2011–12 season====
[[File:Scarlets lineout.JPG|thumb|150px|Scarlets players contest a [[Line-out (rugby union)|line-out]] in a match against [[Benetton Rugby|Benetton Treviso]] in 2013]]
During the 2011–12 season, the Scarlets were unable to progress to the knockout rounds of the Heineken Cup, but placing second in their pool earned them an automatic drop-down spot in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup. They lost the resulting fixture against Brive 15–12, despite scoring the only try of the match through Liam Williams.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 2012|title=Scarlets exit Amlin Challenge Cup with quarter-final defeat at Brive |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/apr/08/brive-scarlets-amlin-challenge-cup |access-date=2 April 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Nigel Davies departed the club at the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, and was replaced by defence coach and longtime Scarlets player, [[Simon Easterby]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/18304544 |title=Simon Easterby is appointed the new Scarlets coach |website=BBC Sport |date=2 June 2012 |access-date=12 October 2012}}</ref>