Sport in London - Rugby Union

Rugby Union

Rugby union is also well established in London, especially in the middle-class suburbs to the north and west of the city. Five of the twelve clubs in the Aviva Premiership have London origins. London Irish and Wasps share football grounds just outside the boundaries of Greater London (respectively in Reading and High Wycombe), but in the metropolitan area. Saracens also shared a football ground just outside the boundary in Watford through the 2011–12 season. It planned to return home matches to Greater London for the 2012–13 season, but their new ground will not be ready until February 2013. Harlequins still play in Greater London at The Stoop. London Welsh, newly promoted to the Premiership for 2012–13, are sharing a football ground outside the commuter belt, namely Kassam Stadium in Oxford. In more recent years, a modern tradition has seen the four biggest London clubs (Harlequins, London Irish, Saracens, Wasps) play out of Twickenham during the first round of the Premiership, in a double-header. Apart from the elite clubs, the London Scottish, located in London, compete in the RFU Championship. Esher, located just outside Greater London in Hersham, competed in the Championship until being relegated to National League 1 for 2012–13.

The English national rugby stadium (Twickenham) is in Twickenham. The English national side play their home matches there during the Six Nations Championship, as well as the November inbound touring nations. The ground also hosted the 1991 Rugby World Cup final, where Australia defeated England. Twickenham hosts the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup, and will host the Heineken Cup final for the fourth time in 2012. The stadium is also host to The Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge as well as the English school's Daily Mail Cup final. London was also home to the massive celebrations for the English rugby team when they returned home from Australia after winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where Jonny Wilkinson kicked a drop-goal in extra time. An estimated 750,000 gathered in Trafalgar Square to celebrate their arrival.