Twickenham Stadium, England
Twickenham Stadium,
located on Whitton Road, Twickenham, in the London Borough
of Richmond upon Thames, South West London, is the National Stadium of England; and is soon to premier as one of the 13, pre-selected Venues to help co-host The
2015 Rugby World Cup, which is all set to kick off (Ahem, if you'll
pardon the pun!) on September 18th, 2015.
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| All Blacks at Twickenham |
Twickenham,
AKA "The Tarquin Dome", or "Twickers", as it
is sometimes referred to, stands as the largest Rugby Union Stadium in the
World, and also holds the proud distinctions of being the 2nd largest Stadium
in The United Kingdom, London (Next to Wembley Stadium, also London), and the
4th largest Stadium in all of Europe, with a crowd capacity of 82,000.
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| An aerial view of Twickenham Stadium |
In the year 1907, RFU (Rugby Football Union) Committee Member, William "Billy" Williams, along with RFU Treasurer, William Cail, set out, upon the urging of some anxious Employers, on what would eventually be noted as a history-making endeavour: To seek out and purchase England's first Rugby Union dedicated grounds.
For £5,500 12s and 6d,
the 10¼ acres were swiftly purchased, and construction began the following
year for what would later be referred to as, "The Home of Rugby Union".
As a result of these "game changing" events, Twickenham
Stadium would also come to be affectionately referred to as "Billy
Williams' Cabbage Patch, "The Cabbage Patch", or just
simply "Headquarters".
On October 2nd, 1909, Twickenham Stadium
hosted its inaugural Match between English Rugby Union club Teams, Harlequins
and Richmond (14-10, Harlequins). A first
International Test Match would soon follow, making its Twickenham debut on January 15th, 1910, between International Rugby Teams, England
and Wales (11-6, England). At that time, Twickenham's
maximum capacity only allowed for a mere 20,000 spectators.
During the First World
War (WWI), England's most beloved Stadium was once again humbled and brought
down to the lowly status of "Cow Pasture", when it was temporarily
converted for the necessary grazing of some of the country's sheep, horse, and cattle populations. In public remembrance and gratitude of this noble sacrifice, King George V would later unveil a War
Memorial, in 1921.
In the year 1959, old adversaries, England and Wales, joined forces to battle worthy opponents, Ireland and Scotland, in a unique Test Match to celebrate Twickenham's 50th Anniversary. England and Wales won the Match, 26-17.
In celebration of Twickenham's
100th Anniversary, England's International Rugby Players wore commemorative
shirts in an International Test Match against Wales that was played on February
6th, 2010, in Twickenham Stadium. England, rather
appropriately, thrashed the opposing Team, winning the historical game with a
final score of 30-17.
In a love affair that
has lasted for over a century, Billy's Cabbage Patch also retains the unique, additional distinction of being the only National Stadium
in the entire World to have its native Team, England,
play nearly all their Home Games there (as opposed to any
other National Team of the World, who prefer to "switch up" their
playing Venues on a regular basis), and is considered to be by its Patrons, one
of England's most-precious treasures and crowning achievements (if you'll
pardon the 2nd pun!).
