Page 2 - Rugby Post - Issue 61

East Stand Consultation Twickenham Stadium
is Venue of the Year
The RFU’s well attended public
consultations for local residents, An international panel of experts recently
businesses and other stakeholders awarded Twickenham Stadium Venue of the
took place at the end of May and Year in the prestigious Stadium Business
beginning of June and, subject to Awards, beating venues from Australia,
planning permission, the project Europe and the USA.
will be completed by autumn 2018.
At a ceremony on the pitch at Real Madrid’s
Twickenham Stadium’s East Stand Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, collecting the
planned alteration is to improve award, Twickenham Stadium Director Richard
supporters’ match day experience by creating more space and helping to Knight said: "This has truly been an exceptional
improve the existing hospitality facilities. The stand’s exterior will also period for the stadium, having hosted ten games
be modernised, while existing bowl infrastructure and seating will not be in the best Rugby World Cup ever and become
affected. an industry leader in fan experience and product
innovation.”
Redeveloping Twickenham Stadium’s East Stand is seen by the RFU as the As well as Venue of the Year, Twickenham
next phase in delivering on its key area of fuelling growth of the sport at scooped the Product Innovation Award in
every level. recognition of the way they deliver a great
match day fan experience through cashless and
Stadium’s Rose and Poppy Gates contactless payment systems.
Judges said: “2015 was a landmark year for
A moving ceremony unveiled the Rose and Poppy Gates, under Twickenham: hosting a world-class Rugby World
Twickenham West Stand’s gold lion, and through which teams Cup, delivering an enhanced fan experience,
will walk to Twickenham international matches. completing major capital works on time and
in budget, implementing £20m+ of stadium
A century after England Rugby captain Ronnie Poulton Palmer was killed technologies, and delivering record revenues
by a sniper bullet at Ypres, Twickenham Stadium uncovered its first ever back to grassroots rugby.”
public memorial to the players who died in the Great War and all in the
rugby family who have died in conflicts around the world.

Seven of that 1914 England Grand Slam-winning team, and 1000s
of rugby players at every level of the game, left rugby fields for the
battlefield, never to return. As part of the RFU’s commemoration of the
World War I centenary, the Rose and Poppy Gates will ensure that they
have a lasting memorial at the Home of England Rugby.

Music was provided by students of the Royal Military School of Music
and singing was led by Roisin Neligan-Ayling from St Catherine’s School,
Twickenham. The gates were unveiled by the then RFU President Jason
Leonard OBE and First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones KCB ADC,
President of the Royal Navy Rugby Union.

Artist and sculptor Harry Gray incorporated 15 roses at the foot of the
gates, each cast in bronze and representing Poulton-Palmer’s team. They
rise into poppies near the top. The 15th rose represents the man at the
front, and forms the lock. A bronze bar suggests the point where soldiers
went over the top, beyond it the roses become poppies, each made from
brass taken from shells fired by German artillery at the Allied trenches.

Among those present together with military
representatives were: RFU Commemorations
Ambassador Lewis Moody MBE; RFU CEO Ian
Ritchie; Twickenham MP Dr Tania Mathias;
Richmond Mayor Cllr Martin Seymour; Hounslow
Mayor Cllr Nisar Malik; the gates’ sculptor, Harry
Gray; representatives of the Royal Navy and
Army Rugby Union teams, together with other
distinguished guests, descendants of rugby playing
WW1 soldiers, local and national charities and
residents of Twickenham and Hounslow.

The gates are lit at night and can be viewed by
walking round from either Rugby or Whitton
Road to the gold lion in front of the West Stand