[ad_1]
It’s the noise that sends shivers down your spine – the roar of true fans chanting and cheering after months of silence.
Around 2,700 of them were able to enter London’s Twickenham Stoop Stadium to watch the Harlequins against Bath.
It was the first Premiership rugby match with a crowd since the start of the coronavirus emergency shutdown.
Fans can use a QR code to order food and beer from their seats
The match was selected as part of a government pilot plan to test whether spectators can safely return to live sport during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Those inside were subscribers, elected by vote. With social distancing rules, only about 20% of the 14,800-capacity land could be filled, making it feel a bit empty.
Laurie Dalrymple, executive director of Harlequins, told Sky News that the size of the crowd meant that the match was “not really about getting a profitable return,” but rather was an important step for fans to walk through the doors and see the rugby.
Supporters were separated into the stands to adhere to the government’s “one meter more” guide, but families with tickets were allowed to sit together.
With social distancing rules, only about 20% of the 14,800 capacity plots could be filled
Before the game there was a mixture of nervousness and excitement in the air.
Fans were delighted to support their club in person and everyone I spoke with said they felt protected by the security measures in place.
Tickets had to be reserved in advance and a name provided, identification and temperature checks were carried out upon arrival, and health questionnaire forms had to be completed, along with details of the track and trace system.
Face masks were a must (except for eating or drinking) and fans were assigned arrival times to make sure the turnstiles weren’t too busy before the game.
Rugby fans were told to wear face masks
Everything was very neat and a bit strange.
For once, at a sports game there was ample parking to encourage people to avoid public transportation.
Most impressive was the new food and beverage ordering system. To eliminate the queues, fans can use a QR code to order food and beer from their seats.
I’m sure the fans would like this to continue even if things get back to normal.
Socially estranged rugby fans at Twickenham Stoop Stadium
It would mean no more losing attempts and hard tackles because it was your turn to buy a round.
From the Harlequins stadium you can see Twickenham, “England’s home of rugby,” which is just 800 meters away.
If driver games like these are successful, the government hopes to allow fans to go back to watching live sports in October.
:: Subscribe to the daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
That would mean that by the time England take on the Barbarians on October 25, up to 20,000 fans will be able to see inside Twickenham.
Like going to restaurants, museums, pubs, and workplaces, going to a game in a stadium was a very different experience compared to before the pandemic.
But the moment the first try was scored and I was hit by the roar of the Harlequins fans, the magic of the live sport returned.
Noise. The passion. It is an environment impossible to recreate at home on the sofa.
