On Saturday 8th April 2017, Bath Rugby will become the first non-London based club to move a regular season Aviva Premiership game to Twickenham Stadium, where they will face old rivals Leicester Tigers.
Our aim is to create an affordable, fun family day out, that has entertainment for all ages throughout the day and a cracking game of rugby at its heart. As well as appealing to our core supporters, we want to give our wider supporter base across London and the South East, who don’t get the opportunity to come to the Rec, the chance to experience a Bath Rugby matchday.
From a rugby perspective, it offers the opportunity for our players to get big game experience playing at an international stadium, when they may not ordinarily get the chance. This will aid their development individually and as a team, providing valuable experience of playing on a big stage for when we reach the knock-out stages of competitions.
There are also plans for significant activity with our Community team in the build-up to The Clash, culminating in local, young kids getting the opportunity to run out and play at Twickenham around the main game. This will have a huge impact, inspiring many kids who play and love the game.
Our medium and long term plan remains the development of world-class facilities at the Rec in the heart of Bath, but in the immediate term, it is also our intention to develop The Clash as one game in the season which is a festival of rugby, not just for our core supporters, but also our wider supporter base and following.
We have seen the appetite for a Bath Rugby game at Twickenham across a number of channels, and not least at the Aviva Premiership final in 2015 when there was huge support in Blue, Black & White. Whilst The Clash will help in terms of our ambition to be a self-sustaining club, it will also provide valuable experience for the players, fantastic opportunities for community and grass roots engagement, as well as being a great family day out in the rugby calendar.
As Season Ticket Holders, you are hugely important to the Club, and we’re delighted that over half of you have already claimed your seat, with the majority also buying additional tickets for family and friends. Having said that, we appreciate that some Season Ticket Holders have questions, and so we wanted to take this opportunity to provide more information regarding the game at Twickenham on Saturday 8th April 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. As a Season Ticket Holder, how do I claim my ticket?
The Clash is included in full season tickets, and as a Season Ticket Holder you are able to select where you would like to sit. Once you have confirmed your seat, you will be sent a ticket for the game. Simply visit bathrugby.com/tickets or call the Ticket Office on 0844 448 1865 to book your seat.
Q. Am I able to buy more tickets for the game?
Yes – Season Ticket Holders can purchase unlimited additional tickets for the game.
Q. By when do I have to decide if I am coming to the game?
Season Ticket Holders have until the 31st March (a week before the game will take place) to decide if they would like to attend. However, to guarantee you a like-for-like seat (ie the equivalent category seat at Twickenham as you hold at the Rec), we would encourage you to claim your seat by Friday 16th December.
Q. If I am unable to attend, am I entitled to a refund?
- For any Season Ticket Holders who are unable to attend, we are offering a refund to the value of 1/16th of their season ticket, and as this is a Category 1 game, there will be a further 10% increase on your refund.
- For those who wish to have a refund, the amount will be credited back to your ticket account with the Club, to be used against 2016/17 season additional match tickets (where relevant) or against your season ticket renewal for the 2017/18 season.
- If, however, that does not suit your personal circumstances (e.g. you may be moving away and not wish to renew your season ticket), then we will offer those people a refund into their bank account.
- We will process all refunds in one batch following the Clash. By processing refunds after the event, we will know exactly who has attended, allowing Season Ticket Holders to change their mind without a complex credit/debit process.
Q. How are the Club assisting with travel information for people going to Twickenham?
- We have organised a Park and Ride service from two locations close to Bath (Bath and Chippenham), from where coaches will be running to/from Twickenham. These Park and Ride services are running at a subsidised cost.
- We are working closely with National Rail to identify if specific train services can be run although this is yet to be confirmed.
- Detailed information on travel which can be found at bathrugby.com/theclash.
Q. Is there demand for Bath Rugby to play a game at Twickenham?
- We are aware that there is support for Bath Rugby across London and the South East, with evidence of this across social media, digital and other channels as well as the level of support for Bath Rugby at the Aviva Premiership Final at Twickenham in 2015.
- We surveyed all supporters’ for their views in March 2016 regarding the Twickenham game concept, and the response was supportive in terms of the concept and their attendance
- We want as many people as possible to come along and enjoy the great day out we have planned. This is a project we are building over more than one season, but we are expecting a great crowd and atmosphere in the first year
Q. Were venues other than Twickenham considered?
We explored a number of options when considering where to stage The Clash. Twickenham was selected for the following reasons.
- From a rugby perspective it provides the big game stage we were looking for in terms of providing our players with big game experience in an international standard stadium, where we hope to be playing finals in the future.
- Twickenham is the home of rugby, we have a great history of playing at Twickenham, and a lot of support in London and the South East
Q. Will Leicester always be the opposition?
- Leicester are a fantastic team to help us launch The Clash – they are one of our oldest rivals and games between the two sides are always exciting and hard-fought.
- The opposition will be determined each season, working in conjunction with Premiership Rugby in future off-seasons and as part of the process for setting all fixtures for the next season. There are no guarantees and it is likely it will be different each season.
Q. Supporters were consulted about the concept via a survey – how did you take account of their views?
- The survey was sent out to Season Ticket Holders, as well as Members and casual supporters to give us an understanding of the variety of views held on the concept of staging a game at Twickenham and some of the details around it.
- The feedback helped to determine a number of factors such as the offers for additional tickets, the entertainment available on the day, and the most popular opposition.
