England are set for a smaller crowd than they would have hoped for this Saturday, as they take on Fiji in their Rugby World Cup send-off at Twickenham. Ticket sales for the match against the Pacific Islanders have been underwhelming, with the upper tier set to be closed this Saturday at the stadium known as ‘HQ’.
At time of writing (Wednesday 23rd August), no tickets are available for purchase in Twickenham’s top tier. The Telegraph reported how the 38 upper tier blocks are being closed off for the match against Fiji, which is a rarity for any England test match.
Remaining tickets are available for as cheap as £10 for local residents, in the regularly lucrative lower tier. There are many aspects to factor in for this dwindled crowd, as recent performances, transport issues and other high profile matches are all reducing the number of travelling fans for England vs Fiji.
A BIGGER SPECTACLE IN TOWN
The Friday night before England take on Fiji, Twickenham Stadium will host two titans of world rugby. The All Blacks take on the Springboks, for a seismic clash at HQ ahead of their respective Rugby World Cup campaigns. This fixture has undoubtedly impacted the tickets sold for England vs Fiji the following day, with rugby fans unable to fork out the cost to watch both matches at Twickenham.
Also, watching the Springboks or All Blacks is an incredibly rare opportunity for rugby fans in England. Both sides are at the top of a rugby aficionado’s bucket list of teams to watch, with the iconic haka, and the brutal ‘Bok collisions taking priority over England v Fiji this weekend.
EXPENSIVE COST FOR POOR PERFORMANCES
It is safe to say that the Steve Borthwick era of England rugby has not gotten off to the hottest start. A fourth placed finish in the 2023 Six Nations saw two Twickenham losses, as Scotland once again retained the Calcutta Cup, before France handed England their heaviest ever home defeat. A routine win over Italy did excite some fans, yet the following Summer Nations Series has not favoured the Twickenham fanbase.
After an opening defeat in Cardiff saw England embarrassed by Wales 20 points to 9, retribution was achieved the following weekend on home soil. However, this 19-17 comeback win was overshadowed by Owen Farrell’s ban, with England now without their talisman until match day three of the Rugby World Cup. Another poor performance against Ireland saw little hope for Borthwick’s men in Dublin, with this Saturday being a must win match ahead of the trip to France.
TRAIN STRIKES
Once again, match day plans for the Twickenham faithful have been made more complicated with rail strikes. TFL strike action is set to take place across Saturday the 26th of August, with reduced services throughout London impacting the Twickenham crowd. An avid Twickenham goer would be more than familiar with the ‘sardine’ packed train from Twickenham station, with rail difficulties again expected for the match against Fiji.
Recent Twickenham matches have also been disrupted by rail strikes, as the normally jam-packed Army vs Navy matches were played in front of a reduced capacity. Also, the Barbarians vs World XV exhibition match had reduced attendance, with Twickenham only opening the lower tier for the action-packed invitational contest.