A goal on top of my study abroad bucket list was to attend an English rugby game. Luckily, St. Mary’s University is situated in Twickenham, the home of rugby.
As the end of the semester approached and I realized this goal on my list had still not been achieved, my friends and I were desperately searching for an affordable rugby game to attend. While searching, we saw that the Women’s Six Nations Rugby game between Ireland and England was being held on Saturday, April 20th. The tickets were £25 and there was a special halftime performance by Sophie Ellis-Baxtor. She had recently gained popularity after her song “Murder on the Dance Floor.” This game was perfect, and the price was right.
On the day of the game, we began our brief 20-minute walk to the stadium. Most of the streets near the stadium were closed off and full of people making their way to the game. Outside, there were loads of vendors and merch stands selling scarves and jerseys. We all ended up purchasing a scarf. The food vendors were like those at American sporting events, selling mostly fried food but instead of hot dogs they had sold burgers or chicken.
When we arrived at the gigantic stadium we got our seats, which were not as bad as I had thought, for £25. We were able to see the whole field and were only 2 levels up. Personally, I do not know much about rugby, but I caught on quickly. The crowd was made up of all ages, full of spirit and ready to show their support for England.
I could not believe how fast the game had been going. Before I knew it, Sophie Ellis-Baxtor was in the middle of the field performing. During halftime, we all got some chips (fries) to hold us over and got back to our seats. We returned to the second half of the game with England still in the lead. At the end, everyone stood up with excitement after England won with a score of 80-3 in a game that lasted a little over 2 hours.
We then made our way out of the stadium, where the energy and spirit were high. After rugby games, everyone makes their way out into the town to celebrate the victory.
Being able to see a sports game in a different country allowed me to experience an important part of English culture. One of the most important parts of traveling is gaining a deeper understanding of local traditions.
Fiona G is majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in Special Education at Salve Regina University while studying abroad at St. Mary’s University Twickenham, London, England.
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