STAFF REVIEW OF TWICKENHAM STADIUM

With the echo of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” ringing through our ears, Leoni and I hopped off at Twickenham train station to take part in our latest staff review and I’m sure you can guess what it is – a Twickenham Stadium Tour for two. After a quick 10 minute walk from the station to the stadium, Leoni and I headed to the Rugby Store where the tour starts.

As the largest stadium in the world which is purely devoted to Rugby, Leoni and I knew we were going to be in for a treat seeing the behind the scenes actions of such an iconic sporting venue – and hopefully spot a rugby player or two! We were warmly welcomed by our tour guide and set off to start the tour. The first stop was into the Rugby Internationals Club where ex-players can enjoy their own bar and seating area for match days. Across the walls there is many pictures of different rugby matches from the old days when the Twickenham pitch would have been full of mud and thick across the rugby players faces, a lot different to the pristine pitch now as informed by our tour guide!

Next up, we visited some of the Royal Boxes and enjoyed sitting in their premium seats at the top of the stadium. These boxes are slightly out of our price range… but we can dream! We then moved on to seeing the different hospitality suites including the Presidents Suite where royalty like to relax and dine before a big game. Our tour guide continued to take us round and share fun facts with us about the sport, players and the history of the stadium.

Our next stop was what we all had been waiting for; the dressing rooms and the players’ tunnel. Now would have been the perfect time for one of the rugby stars to pop up! In the dressing room, you can see the different designated space for each player and the previous players who have been there before them. I took a quick picture of George Ford’s seat and sent it to my friend who is an avid fan, might have something to do with his blue eyes I reckon. We also saw the medical and old fashioned bathing areas where the players can tend to their sore muscles after the game. We then left the changing rooms and headed through the Players’ Tunnel pretending we were about to walk out to a full 85,000 capacity Twickenham Stadium, chanting our names. Our tour finished by going pitch-side and checking out the immaculate pitch right from its sidelines.

Unfortunately, when we visited (in March 2017)  Twickenham World Rugby Museum was closed due to refurbishments but this is definitely something you’d need to check out once you are there. If you’re visiting before the Museum opens again in May 2017, you’re entitled to go back and visit again for free, so you can relive the experience all over again! Thank you so much to Twickenham Rugby Tours for inviting us along to take part in the experience, we had a fab time.

You can purchase a Twickenham Stadium Tour for two here or alternatively take the family for a tour of their lifetime!