Cover Stories
Quins have the X-Factor
With a crowd of over 76,000, three X-factor finalists performing on the pitch, opera singers, an ABBA tribute band and a massive sea eagle to carry in the ball from the chilly evening sky, Big Game 2 not only smashed Guinness Premiership records but also pulled in the biggest crowd for a sporting event over Christmas. Twickenham Stadium, the Home of England Rugby, became Quins’ home on Sunday December 27th, and affectionately referred to as the Big Stoop. With the roar of over 76,000 fans, Quins cemented the Harlequins event as the sporting occasion not to be missed over the festive period. Everyone is now looking forward to Big Game 3!
History repeats itself as England take on Wales in traditional jersey
England and their main sponsors O2 and Nike are rolling back the years, with the squad taking on Wales in Twickenham’s Centenary Match on Saturday February 6th sporting a limited edition, traditional look jersey to commemorate a century since the two nations’ first encounter at HQ. In the original match on 15th January 1910 England emerged the victors by 11–6 and the pearl white shirt was inspired by the one worn by that winning team. The 2010 team will run out in the iconic jersey featuring authentic detailing and a stunning embroidered rose emulating that on the original kit. Nike technology remains at the heart of the jersey with dri fit a feature and gripper patter on the chest to improve performance. In keeping with the traditional look and feel, England Rugby sponsors 02 have temporarily relinquished their core branding to support Twickenham’s centenary celebration and discreet O2 branding will appear on the shirt sleeve rather than the jersey front. A replica shirt is available together with a polo shirt, T shirt and limited edition centenary jacket. These are available at the Rugby Store at Twickenham Stadium and York Street, Twickenham and also online at rfu.direct.com. Said Andy Ward, RFU Head of Retail, ‘This shirt celebrates 100 years of Twickenham Stadium and takes its inspiration from the shirt worn a century ago, whilst ensuring the players still have the performance they expect from a Nike shirt. The replica shirts are limited in supply and we expect there will be a big demand for them from England fans.’
