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The Big Game (rugby union)

Annual rugby union match in London

An aerial view of Twickenham Stadium. The Stoop can be seen in the top left-hand corner.

The Big Game is an annual rugby union match hosted by Harlequins since 2008 and Harlequins Women since 2021. It is held during the Christmas holiday season each year. It is one of the regular home matches in Premiership Rugby for the men's team and in Premiership Women's Rugby for the women's team. The fixture is moved from their usual home ground at the Twickenham Stoop (with a capacity of 14,816) to the much larger Twickenham Stadium (with 82,000 seats).

There have been other high-profile matches in London between Premiership Rugby clubs at other times, including the London Double Header (2004–2017), Bath's The Clash at Twickenham and Saracens' games at Wembley Stadium, London Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Since 2022 Harlequins have also hosted an additional match at Twickenham near the end of the season known as Big Summer Kick-off.

Big Game 1

Monye Croft

Big Game 2

Strettle 79' c Hart 74' c Walder (1) 62'

Big Game 2 set a record Premiership attendance of 76,716.

Big Game 3

Big Game 4

Going into the game Harlequins had won all of their Premiership games, but fell to defeat in this their eleventh game to the team second in the table. As Twickenham had a capacity 82,000 crowd this game set a global rugby union attendance record for a regular-season club fixture.

Big Game 5

Penalty try 77' c

Big Game 6

Walker 31' m Brown 39' c

Big Game 7

Clifford 59' c Twomey 76' c North 42' c Fotuali'i 71' c

Big Game 8

Care 34' c Easter 52' c R. Chisholm (2) 54' c, 76' c Hook 30' c Trinder (2) 47' c, 56' m Cook 68' c

Big Game 9

Clifford 41' c Hook 62' c Matu'u 70' c Burns (1/1)

Big Game 10

Walker 18' c Visser (2) 20' c, 42' m Care (2) 30' c, 56' c Luamanu 67' c Groom 52' c Haywood 72' c

Big Game 11

Marchant 63' c Sopoaga (1/2) 68'

Big Game 12

Men's fixture

M. Smith 48' c Robshaw 54' c Taufua 60' c Veainu 72' c

Women's friendly

Big Game 13

Pending developments with the COVID-19 pandemic, Big Game 13 was planned to be held in spring 2021. The game never came to fruition and Harlequins would instead return to Twickenham twice the following season. Big Game 13 was the first time that Harlequins Women had played a Premier 15s match at Twickenham Stadium.

Women's fixture

Kildunne 43' m Cowell 47' c Konkel 63' m Fletcher 78' c

Men's fixture

Murley (2) 17' c, 30' c Lynagh 54' m Esterhuizen (1/1) 80' A. Waller 14' c

Big Game 14

Harlequins intended to play Big Game 14 during the normal festive period. However, due to industrial action they were forced to play their festive fixture against Bristol Bears at Twickenham Stoop and would instead move their round 19 match against Exeter Chiefs to Twickenham. They would return to Twickenham the following month for their annual 'Big Summer Kick-Off' match

Women's fixture

Dow 43' m Sims 62' c Tuima 63' Allen 13' c Johnson 36' c Jefferies 46' c MacDonald (2) 58' c, 68' m McGillivray 74' c

Men's fixture

Bassett 23' c Riley 29' m Marchant (2) 32' c, 57' c Lewies 65' c

Big Game 15

Women's fixture

Scott 42' m Latsha 56' c Monaghan 13' c Venner 22' m Tuipulotu 27' c Lund 80' m

Men's fixture

Dombrandt 23' m Lamb 43' c Care 54' c McGuigan 51' c May 71' m Penalty try 77'

Big Game 16

This would be the first Big Game in the Renamed, "Allianz Stadium".

Women's Fixture

C. Powell 19' K. Powell 28' Neumann 32' Phillips 60' Kildunne (2) 65', 71' Henrich 56' Sanele 74'

Men's fixture

References

(23 September 2021). "The Big Game Is Back At Twickenham". Twickenham Stadium.
(1 September 2009). "Club-by-club guide - Harlequins". BBC.
"Twickenham Stadium". Rugby Football Union.
"Big Summer Kick-Off".
Sheppard, Callum. (23 December 2011). "Big Game 4 ticket sales set new record". The Big Game.
(27 December 2011). "Harlequins 11-19 Saracens". BBC Sport.
(29 December 2019). "Leinster make history in first women's club match at Twickenham". The Irish Times.
(29 September 2020). "Premiership fixtures announced".
(4 March 2023). "Harlequins Women Set New World Record For Club Game Attendance At Big Game 14".
(15 December 2022). "'We are devastated' - Harlequins forced to postpone 'Big Game'".

Info: Wikipedia Source

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