St Patrick’s, Showdown3 and Varsity: London’s big rugby day out
Tomorrow is an important Saturday in the country’s rugby calendar because it’s one of the few days of the year where London really shines.
The Varsity Matches – between Oxford and Cambridge – will take place at Twickenham while four Premiership clubs compete in two huge fixtures.
Saracens host Harlequins in the Showdown3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium while London Irish take on Northampton Saints in their St Patrick’s Day Party in Brentford.
The trio of games puts the capital on the rugby map, and here’s how you can enjoy each of them.
St Patrick’s Day Party – 5:30pm – Gtech Community Stadium
It’s for sure set to be the more exciting of the matches on Saturday with the capital’s Irish contingent set to descend on Brentford.
London Irish and Northampton Saints play some extremely exciting rugby and are both in the hunt for the play-offs.
“The St Patrick’s Party fixture is the first match that players, supporters and staff alike look for at the beginning of the season,” London Irish captain Matt Rogerson told Morning Wire
“I know we are expecting the biggest crowd of the season and, as always with these fixtures, the atmosphere will be bouncing.
“It’s a rare match day that is about more than just the 80 minutes of rugby. There are so many bits and bobs going on around the stadium.
“When you mix that in with a big match against Northampton Saints, with both sides in contention for the playoff places it has all the makings of a good day out.
“We can’t wait, it’s going to be a special day.”
Prices (adult): £25 – £65
Tickets: Here
Showdown3 – 3pm – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Over 50,000 tickets have been sold for the match between Saracens and Harlequins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tomorrow with the revival of the London rivalry at an out-ground.
It is also set to be the return of Marcus Smith – the free-flowing Harlequins no10 – against Owen Farrell – the old master who is currently in favour internationally.
It’s set to be a battle of two teams who have really developed their styles across the last three years – albeit Quins are struggling to operate at the level that saw them win the title in 2020-21.
Prices (adult): £36.75 – £75.50
Tickets: Here
Varsity Matches – from 12pm – Twickenham Stadium
A double header of rugby will take place at the home of England Rugby when Oxford and Cambridge men and women clash in the 2023 Varsity Matches.
A day ahead of the Boat Race, the four teams will be looking to secure victory for their respective universities.
In the women’s match, Oxford have won 20 while Cambridge have triumphed 13 times.
In the men’s match, Cambridge lead Oxford by 64-62 – last year’s clash saw a 10-10 draw.
The matches have been played at Twickenham for a century but have recently been moved from a Thursday afternoon to a Saturday to ensure the weekend of Varsity can be a long and enjoyable one.
Prices (adult): £25 – £50
Tickets: Here