The History Of Twickenham Stadium
‘Twickers’, is the unmistakable Home of English rugby and a multitude of Twickenham Stadium events and is the largest dedicated rugby union venue in the world. To rugby fans, however, it is far more than just that. To those fans, the stadium is their favourite sport’s spiritual home and is a place which has an almost sacred aura. Anyone who plays rugby dreams of playing at Twickenham and the stadium has become a focal point of rugby history and heritage.
If you’re anything like us – you might have wondered where, or in this case when was Twickenham built. Let’s take a quick look, then, at how Twickenham Stadium developed into the rugby mecca it is today.
Where is Twickenham Stadium?
Twickenham Stadium is located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England.
When was Twickenham Stadium built and how has it evolved?
1906 – After selling out their international rugby tickets against South Africa and New Zealand at Crystal Palace sports centre, the RFU decided that they’d be better off with their own stadium. They decided to buy a piece of land formerly used to grow cabbages for just £5,500 (hence “The cabbage patch”, Twickenham Stadium’s affectionate nickname) in the town of Twickenham.
1909 – After the development of stands and roads, the first rugby game at Twickenham was played between Richmond and the Harlequins.
1910 – Twickenham stadium, now complete, helps to spark the ‘golden era’ of English rugby, as 20,000 spectators crammed themselves in to watch England vs Wales in what is now known as the Six Nations Championship, formerly the Five Nations.
1918 – The rugby, along with everything else, was interrupted by the start of WWI. Seven of the 1913/1914 England rugby squad lost their lives in the war. The stadium however survived – going back to its agricultural roots during the war as a grazing area for horses and livestock.
1920 – The war is over, and the two existing stands were expanded and a third being built, taking Twickenham Stadiums capacity from 20,000 to 43,000. The extra space for the English fans seemed to boost the English national team’s morale as they dominate the 5 nations (Six Nations) tournament throughout the 1920’s.
1927 – Radio history was made with the first ever live rugby broadcast on BBC radio from within Twickenham stadium.
1930’s – Prince Alexander Obolensky or “The Prince of Pace” as he is better known, scored two of the best tries Twickenham has ever seen. To this day one of the Twickenham hospitality boxes, the Obolensky suite, is still named after Prince Alexander.
1938 – The BBC broadcasts the first ever televised rugby event, England vs. Scotland in the Calcutta Cup at Twickenham. The Calcutta Cup being the trophy awarded to the winner of the game between England and Scotland, and one of several individual trophies awarded within the Six Nations Championship.
1944 – WWII devastated Britain and many more brilliant players lost their lives, including “The Prince of Pace”, Obolensky. During the war, Twickenham stadium is also hit by a V-2 rocket.
1988 – It’s the last match of the 1988 season and England has scored only one try at Twickenham in the last two years. It’s England vs. Ireland and they’re 3-0 down at half time. As the second half starts England come out swinging with a hat-trick from Chris Oti and three additional tries to win the game 35-3. An elated crowd come together to sing ‘swing low, sweet chariot’ for the first time, a tradition adopted from the Benedictine school which is still going strong today.
2004 – Fast forward sixteen years and the stadium is redeveloped to create the world-class facility we know and love today. Expanding its capacity to 82,000, the redevelopment introduced a four-star Marriott Hotel, a performing arts complex, and a health and leisure club.
2018 - Another monumental year for the stadium saw the arrival of the redeveloped Twickenham East Stand. This redevelopment brought with it a whole new seating plan as well as some fantastic new restaurants and Twickenham hospitality venues including The East Wing and The Gate.
Since its beginnings Twickenham has maintained that magical blend of sports and leisure with competitions like the Six Nations and the Gallagher Premiership mixed with amazing food and drink from the likes of The Lock, and the British Airways Rose Garden.
What makes Twickenham Stadium so iconic?
There are many reasons as to why the stadium means so much to rugby fans over the world. From the walk to the stadium down rugby road, the National Anthems being bellowed out at the start or the camaraderie between home and opposition fans during the game.
The one thing that comes up every time when you speak to fans about the stadium is the unrivalled atmosphere. The camaraderie between home and opposition fans help builds this cauldron of excitement before, during and after kick-off.
We can only imagine the feeling the players get as they run out on the hallowed turf at the home of England Rugby. We looked into some interviews from former England International Ben Youngs, Danny Care and Dan Cole, where they talk about their best memories of plying at Twickenham.
Ben Youngs relived England’s mesmerising 38-21 win over New Zealand in 2012. The scrum half vividly remembers how the crowd got behind the team and inspired them to win was simply sensational.
Former prop Dan Cole went on to say that the Twickenham Crowd acts as our 16th man, giving you that lift you sometimes need when the going gets tough. Former scrum half Danny Care agreed saying when 80,000 fans get behind you, it really helps in the big moments; but jokingly said you defiantly hear when you make a mistake. However, in those moments it pushes you on to improve and up your performance.
Back in 2016, Argentina played Australia at Twickenham Stadium in The Rugby Championship. The game ended in defeat for the Argentinians but, head coach at the time Daniel Hourcade described Twickenham Stadium as the cathedral of rugby. He went on to say despite defeat it was a great experience and a real honour to play at Twickenham.
Rugby at Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham’s long history and the presence of the World Rugby Museum play a part in why it is so iconic, but it is the many memorable and important matches which the stadium has hosted which really secure Twickenham’s place in the collective heart of rugby fans.
Since hosting its very first game back in 1910, Twickenham rugby fixtures have come thick and fast, and the stadium has been the venue for some of rugby’s very best and most historic matches. They have included multiple Gallagher Premiership finals, regular World Rugby Sevens Series and not one but two World Cup finals.
The first of those World Cup finals at Twickenham came in the second edition of the tournament in 1991, and saw Australia overcome home favourites England 12-6. Some 24 years later, Twickenham hosted its second final in 2015, when New Zealand defeated Australia to become the first ever side to retain the Rugby World Cup. It is arguably the 1999 World Cup semi-final held at Twickenham, however, which is the best game that the stadium has ever hosted.16 years before they would become World Champions on the Twickenham turf, the All Blacks took on an unfancied French side in that semi-final. The game appeared to be going according to the script when New Zealand took a 24-10 lead but French back Christophe Lamaison had other ideas. Lamaison’s inspired play, and similarly impressive performances from his team mates, saw France go on the rampage and at one stage score 26 unanswered points in just 13 minutes. That astonishing spell of attacking rugby propelled the French to a 43-31 win and delivered one of rugby’s biggest ever upsets.
Twickenham Stadium, therefore, is not only the world’s largest and best developed rugby venue, it is also the spiritual home of the sport and has played host to some of rugby’s most memorable matches. It’s little wonder, then, that the stadium affectionately known as ‘the Cabbage Patch’ means so very much to rugby fans the world over. If you want to find out more about the sport, read our beginner's guide here.
What is the World Rugby Museum?
The Museum of Rugby was built on-site which would eventually open in 1996. In 2007, the museum was renamed the World Rugby Museum to recognise its importance to fans across the globe and in 2017 it was rebuilt thanks to £1.8 million worth of investment from the RFU. Today, the museum exhibits over 38,000 items of rugby memorabilia and attracts more than 25,000 annual visitors.
Continued Developments
The development of the South Stand increased the stadium capacity to 82,000, and a four star Marriott hotel was opened on site. Further additions and improvements to the venue also ensured that Twickenham corporate hospitality is now second to none.
The most notable recent example comes in the shape of the stadium’s redeveloped East Stand. Fully 11,600 square metres of space has been innovatively redesigned in that stand to create six whole levels entirely dedicated to rugby hospitality. From the informal atmosphere of the British Airways Rose Garden to the more exclusive East Wing, Twickenham’s East Stand does now truly have something for everyone
This stadium continues to grow and evolve while connecting people with the wonderful world of rugby, truly making it the spiritual home of English rugby and the England Rugby Team.
If you want to join us for a memorable and special elevated experience at Twickenham Stadium to watch some of the world’s best rugby teams, then take a look at our hospitality options here.