6 Nations Trains

Rugby 6 Nations Trains

For rugby fans around the world, but particularly those in Europe, the first weekend in February will always be special. It’s the weekend when winter’s grip on the sporting calendar is loosened and entire countries are consumed with the passion of the RBS Six Nations! Fans from the very north of Scotland to the Mediterranean coast are engrossed in an eight week battle of wits & power that can hardly be matched by any sporting occasion around the world.

The stadiums of the British home nations (England, Scotland and Wales) are all easily accessible by train and we’ve created a handy guide on how to reach each ground below:

England – Twickenham (London)

Twickenham or HQ as its sometimes known is the home of English Rugby. This 82,000 seat stadium is the largest used for the Six nations and is normally sold throught the competition. This can make congestion a huge challenge, that’s why taking the train is such a convenience!

Take the train down to London Waterloo or Reading and change to take one of the regular mainline trains to Twickenham Station that depart from there. Our helpful hint would be to get off a stop earlier and walk the short distance from Richmond Station (it’s also possible to take the District Line on the Underground to Richmond Station) and sampling the atmosphere at watering holes such as “The Cabbage Patch” on the way!

Scotland – Murrayfield (Edinburgh)

Murrayfield Stadium, usually just known as Murrayfield is 67,000 capacity stadium incorporates the countries largest permanent “big screen” but more importantly it’s also used as the home of rugby in Scotland. Opened in 1925 and renovated in 1995 the stadium has played host to some fantastic matches, such as Scotland’s Grand Slam victory over the “auld enemy” in 1990.

Despite the train line running adjacent to the stadium, its nearest railway station is Haymarket, which is a 1-mile walk from the stadium however the good public transport links (particularly buses) means that travelling from Edinburgh Waverly in the centre is still very easy. We’d actually recommend arriving in the city (at the more central Waverly Station) slightly earlier so that you can really enjoy the impressive hospitality and enthusiasm of your Scottish hosts.

Wales – Millennium Stadium (Cardiff)

The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm) is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. Built for the 1999 Rugby World Cup it cost £121 million it is the second largest stadium in the world with a fully retractable roof and was only the second stadium in Europe to have this feature. Filled with passion and pride the stadium boasts some quite unusual facts:

• During a Wales Vs France match, 63,000 fans drank 77,184 pints of beer, almost double the 44,000 pints drunk by a similar number of fans at a game at Twickenham!
• The stadium has a resident hawk named "Dad", who is employed to drive seagulls and pigeons out of the stadium. Fortunately for game days Dad is taken to a quieter part of the country!

Taking the train to the Millennium Stadium couldn’t be easier as Cardiff Central Station is just 400 yards from the Stadium! Trains regularly leave Cardiff Central heading to (among others) Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and London.