Twickenham: The Home of Rugby

Along with football and cricket, rugby is probably one of the top three most popular sports in the United Kingdom. So it's no surprise that Twickenham Stadium and the Museum of Rugby resides in the London surburb of Richmond. The Rugby Football Union stadium amazed me with its massive size, the majesty of its royal and corporate boxes and the simplicity of its dressing rooms. On the few tours of American ballparks I've been on, there is somewhat limited access, as dugouts and clubhouses are limited to the general public. This was not the case at Twickenham, as tourists could walk right in the dressing rooms and take a picture sitting in the locker of their favorite player. After seeing the accommodations for the Queen and the rest of the royal family at the stadium I will never look at other “royal suites” the same way. The décor of the Constitution Room was so ornate and majestic, having an excellent view of the pitch. The artwork on the walls honoring rugby’s history, the most prominent being a match between Yorkshire and Lancashire, establishes the stadium as a Mecca for fans. With the grandeur of the pitch and stadium, it is easy to forget that rugby did not become a professional sport in the UK until 1996. It maintains its amateur, community charm even today, as Twickenham opens its facilities to local schools for their annual Sports Days in the spring. This reminded me that English rugby, despite its often brutality, has sustained its reputation as a community sport played by gentlemen.