2023-10-21 11:05:41
Located southwest of London, approximately 20 km from the center of the British capital, Twickenham Stadium is often considered “the birthplace of rugby”. A magnificent 82,000-seat arena almost dedicated to this sport invented two hours’ drive further north by William Webb Ellis in the town of Rugby.
Twickenham is one of the most beautiful stadiums in Europe. ©Wikipedia
Londoners are particularly spoiled. They can count on 12 large stadiums on their territory. There are all those dedicated to football like the Emirates Stadium where the Arsenal club plays; Stamford Bridge for Chelsea; Craven Cottage for Fulham; or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Tottenham. But there is still the Olympic stadium, the London Stadium; that of Wembley where the national football team plays. And then there is Twickenham or Twickers almost exclusively, apart from a few concerts by rock icons, dedicated to rugby union. A luxury.
Le Twickenham Stadium opened in 1909 and hosted its first international match the following year between England and Wales. It is in this same enclosure, in 1988 on the occasion of a match between the XV de la Rose and Ireland, that English supporters spontaneously sing the famous “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” for the first time (Swing gently, gentle cart) after their team’s third down. It has since become the song of encouragement for all English rugby supporters.
Discover behind the scenes of this stadium
Twickenham and its 82,000 seats host international matches during the Six Nations tournament or the England team’s test matches but also the finals of the Championship and the FA Cup, as well as the FA Cup matches. ‘Europe.
Twickenham Stadium is of course open to the public for guided tours. Fans can discover behind the scenes of this stadium, the locker rooms, press access and cherry on the cake walk this legendary lawn. The grounds, which are now the headquarters of the English Rugby Union, are also home to the World Rugby Museum. which traces the history of rugby through a fabulous collection of cups and jerseys, interactive exhibitions, as well as videos of the greatest matches that took place here. It costs 25 pounds for entry, i.e. a little less than 30 euros.
Between Coventry and Northampton, the town of Rugby
This museum dedicated to oval sport undeniably takes us back to the town of Rugby located 150 km from here to the north of London. It takes about two hours by car to get there.
Because it was in this famous Rugby college, between Coventry and Northampton, that it all began. You know the story, one day in 1823, young William Webb Ellis, a pupil at Rugby School, picked up the ball in the middle of a football match and started running with it. The foundations are laid. It gives birth to a new sporting discipline.
The statue of William Webb Ellis in front of the Rugby School. ©Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Many visitors flock to this town of 70,000 inhabitants to see the statue of William Webb Ellis, who also gave his name to the Rugby World Cup trophy. For information, know that this illustrious character is buried in Menton in the Alpes-Maritimes.
The Midlands city is also home to the World Rugby Hall of Fame, a museum where, thanks to touch screens, you travel through time and discover the entire history of rugby, from its origins to the present day. You can also, in the company of a guide, visit the city also known for being the birthplace of the Gilbert rugby ball. Numerous hotels, pubs, restaurants, etc. are available to visitors.
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