Bath Rugby Managing Director, Tarquin McDonald, said: “We are hugely excited to bring ‘The Clash’ to Twickenham in April. Bath and Leicester have an incredible history and rivalry and games between the two sides are always fantastic to watch. ’The Clash’ is a major event in rugby and part of long-term plans for the club. If this match is a success, we will stage a major showpiece match in London annually.

“We want to provide our wider supporter base with the chance to experience a Bath Rugby match-day at the home of rugby, as well as open up the club to a new audience. This isn’t just a day out for Bath and Leicester supporters. We’re creating an affordable, fun family day out, with lots of entertainment for all ages, and we’re hoping to attract lots of new supporters to both the Club and the sport.”

Bath Rugby is the first non-London club to stage a ‘home’ game at the most famous rugby venue in the world, in what will be a showcase event for the Club.

A number of Bath Rugby’s international stars were at Twickenham today, giving one lucky London school the chance to enjoy a training session at one of the greatest rugby venues in the world.

England stars Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson and Dave Attwood, Bath Rugby Club captain Guy Mercer, and former All Blacks captain and now Bath’s Director of Rugby, Todd Blackadder, gave children from Twickenham Academy school a once-in-lifetime opportunity to run out on the iconic Twickenham pitch.

Alongside the youngsters from Twickenham Academy, Bournemouth Collegiate School also travelled down for the day to share in the experience.

England international wing, Anthony Watson, explained how much the players had enjoyed the day. He said: “It was great to meet the kids from the two schools today and to see their excitement at getting to play on the pitch at Twickenham was a real privilege. It will be a huge honour for the team to do that when we face Leicester on the 8th April, and we are all just as excited as the kids today.

“All professional rugby players start out at a grassroots level, so encouraging kids to watch and play is really important to keep growing the game – hopefully there will be lots of families at The Clash who can introduce a new generation to the sport.”

The activity was organised as a fore-runner to ‘The Clash’, which will see two of the greatest club sides in the world, and arch-rivals, Bath Rugby and Leicester Tigers, face each other at Twickenham in the Aviva Premiership on Saturday 8th April 2017, kick-off 14:00.

To celebrate the meeting of these historic foes in this epic clash, Bath Rugby has planned a festival of entertainment for all the family before and after the whistle is blown.

Adjoining the stadium ‘The Forum’ - a three-zoned mini-city - will bring the Best of Bath to Twickenham, with a feast of food and drink, stage acts, players past and present, the ‘Tunnel of Noise’ on a grander scale and a host of family entertainment.

Within the stadium itself, a pre-match show featuring music and pyrotechnics will build as the players enter the arena for the onset of what promises to be one of the classic rugby clashes of the season.

Guy Mercer, Bath Rugby’s Club captain, added: “I grew up watching games between Bath and Leicester, and they are always really intense, physical games – it really does have the feeling of a derby game, just without the close proximity, so to be involved in this game will be incredible. It also gives some of the squad who haven’t played on such a big stage before the opportunity to experience that, and I know we can’t wait to run out at such an iconic stadium.”

See Bath Rugby face their fiercest rivals Leicester Tigers in The Clash at Twickenham on 8 April 2017. For tickets and further information click here.

Bath Rugby launch exciting plans for annual fixture in London over next five years

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