The Big Game (rugby union)

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An aerial view of Twickenham Stadium. The Stoop can be seen in the top left-hand corner. Stade de Twickenham a Londres.jpg
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. [1] 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 [2] ) to the much larger Twickenham Stadium (with 82,000 seats [3] ).

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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. [4]

Big Game 1

27 December 2008
16:00
Harlequins 26 – 26 Leicester Tigers
Try: Brown
Monye
Con: Evans (2/2)
Pen: Evans (4)		 Report Try: Murphy
Croft
Con: Flood (2/2)
Pen: Flood (4)
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU)

Big Game 2

27 December 2009
16:15
Harlequins 20 – 21 London Wasps
Try: Care 68' c
Strettle 79' c
Con: Evans (2/2)
Pen: Evans (2) 13', 18'		 Report Try: Simpson 2' m
Hart 74' c
Con: Walder (1/1)
Pen: Cipriani (2) 23', 35'
Walder (1) 62'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 76,716
Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU)

Big Game 3

27 December 2010
16:30
Harlequins 28 – 18 London Irish
Try: Lowe 69' c
Con: Evans (1/1)
Pen: Evans (7) 6', 14', 20', 26', 36', 40', 54'		 Report Pen: Malone (6) 13', 18', 29', 38', 47', 59'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 74,212
Referee: Andrew Small (RFU)

Big Game 4

27 December 2011
16:30
Harlequins 11 – 19 Saracens
Try: Marler 47' m
Pen: Evans (2) 18', 40'		 Report Try: Strettle 19' c
Con: Farrell (1/1)
Pen: Farrell (4) 8', 10', 13', 24'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Big Game 5

29 December 2012
14:15
Harlequins 26 – 15 London Irish
Try: Care 51' c
Penalty try 77' c
Con: Evans (2/2)
Pen: Evans (4) 6', 22', 42', 57'		 Report Pen: Humphreys (5) 12', 24', 48', 55', 61'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)

Big Game 6

28 December 2013
15:00
Harlequins 22 – 6 Exeter Chiefs
Try: Evans 2' c
Walker 31' m
Brown 39' c
Con: Evans (2/3) 3', 40'
Pen: Evans (1/3) 62'		 Report Pen: Steenson (2/2) 7', 43'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 74,827
Referee: JP Doyle (RFU)

Big Game 7

27 December 2014
16:30
(1 BP) Harlequins 25 – 30 Northampton Saints
Try: Lowe 5' m
Clifford 59' c
Twomey 76' c
Con: Swiel (2/3)
Pen: Swiel (2/3) 9', 52'		 Report Try: Manoa 18' c
North 42' c
Fotuali'i 71' c
Con: Myler (3/3)
Pen: Myler (3/3) 11', 37', 54'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Wayne Barnes

Big Game 8

27 December 2015
16:30
(1 BP) Harlequins 39 – 39 Gloucester (1 BP)
Try: Yarde 15' m
Care 34' c
Easter 52' c
R. Chisholm (2) 54' c, 76' c
Con: N. Evans (4/5)
Pen: N. Evans (2/2) 12', 70'		 Report Try: Thrush 6' c
Hook 30' c
Trinder (2) 47' c, 56' m
Cook 68' c
Con: Laidlaw (4/5)
Pen: Laidlaw (2/3) 20', 60'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 70,718
Referee: Wayne Barnes

Big Game 9

27 December 2016
16:00
Harlequins 28 – 24 Gloucester
Try: Marchant (2) 26' m, 58' c
Clifford 41' c
Con: Jackson (2/3)
Pen: Jackson (3/3) 37', 40', 50'		 Report Try: Evans 48' c
Hook 62' c
Matu'u 70' c
Con: Laidlaw (2/2)
Burns (1/1)
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 77,567
Referee: JP Doyle

Big Game 10

30 December 2017
16:00
(1 BP) Harlequins 50 – 21 Northampton Saints
Try: Ward 10' c
Walker 18' c
Visser (2) 20' c, 42' m
Care (2) 30' c, 56' c
Luamanu 67' c
Con: M. Smith (6/7) 11', 18', 21', 31', 57', 68'
Pen: M. Smith (1/1) 16'		 Report Try: Horne 47' c
Groom 52' c
Haywood 72' c
Con: Myler (3/3) 47', 54', 73'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 77,825
Referee: JP Doyle

Big Game 11

29 December 2018
16:00
Harlequins 20 – 13 Wasps
Try: Dombrandt 0' c
Marchant 63' c
Con: M. Smith (2/2) 2', 64'
Pen: M. Smith (2/2) 18', 37'		 report Try: Stuart 57' c
Con: Sopoaga (1/1) 58'
Pen: Daly (1/1) 31'
Sopoaga (1/2) 68'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

Big Game 12

Men's fixture

28 December 2019
Harlequins 30–30 Leicester Tigers
Try: Lasike 28' c
M. Smith 48' c
Robshaw 54' c
Con: M. Smith (3/3) 29', 49', 55'
Pen: M. Smith (3/3) 3', 35', 63'		 Report Try: Eastmond 43' c
Taufua 60' c
Veainu 72' c
Con: Ford (3/3) 44', 61', 73'
Pen: Ford (3/3) 7', 24', 65'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 75,500
Referee: Matthew Carley

Women's friendly

28 December 2019
16:30
Harlequins Women 47–26 Leinster Women
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 7,600 [7]

Big Game 13

Pending developments with the COVID-19 pandemic, Big Game 13 was planned to be held in spring 2021. [8] 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. [1]

Women's fixture

27 December 2021
13:00
(1 BP) Harlequins Women 29 – 5 Wasps Women
Try: Breach 37' c
Kildunne 43' m
Cowell 47' c
Konkel 63' m
Fletcher 78' c
Con: Tuima (2) 38', 48'		 Report Try: Boatman 40' +1 m
Twickenham
Attendance: 9,000 [9]
Referee: Nikki O'Donnell

Men's fixture

27 December 2021
17:00
(1 BP) Harlequins 41 – 27 Northampton Saints
Try: Dombrandt (3) 6' c, 40' m, 79' c
Murley (2) 17' c, 30' c
Lynagh 54' m
Con: Edwards (3/5) 7', 18', 31'
Esterhuizen (1/1) 80'
Pen: Edwards (1/1) 72'		Try: Augustus (2) 2' c, 9' c
A. Waller 14' c
Con: Biggar (3/3) 3', 10', 15'
Pen: Biggar (2/2) 33', 44'
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 72,785
Referee: Wayne Barnes

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. [10] They would return to Twickenham the following month for their annual 'Big Summer Kick-Off' match

Women's fixture

4 March 2023
14:30
Harlequins Women 25 – 54 Exeter Chiefs Women (1 BP)
Try: Packer 24' c
Dow 43' m
Sims 62' c
Con: McKenzie 25'
Tuima 63'
Pen: McKenzie (2) 22', 34'		 Report Try: Zackary (2) 3' c, 76' c
Allen 13' c
Johnson 36' c
Jefferies 46' c
MacDonald (2) 58' c, 68' m
McGillivray 74' c
Con: McGoverne (7) 4', 14', 37', 47', 59', 75', 77'
Twickenham
Attendance: 15,420 [9]
Referee: Dan Jones

Men's fixture

4 March 2023
15:00
Harlequins 40 - 5 Exeter Chiefs
Try: Murley 11' c
Bassett 23' c
Riley 29' m
Marchant (2) 32' c, 57' c
Lewies 65' c
Con: M. Smith (5/6) 12', 24', 33', 59', 66'		Try: Innard 46' m
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 54,669
Referee: Matthew Carley

Big Game 15

Women's fixture

30 December 2023
14:30
Harlequins Women 19 – 31 Gloucester-Hartpury Women (1 BP)
Try: Sims 33' c
Scott 42' m
Latsha 56' c
Con: Tuima (2/3) 34', 57'		 Report Try: H. Jones 3' c
Monaghan 13' c
Venner 22' m
Tuipulotu 27' c
Lund 80' m
Con: Sing (3/5) 4', 14', 28'
Twickenham
Attendance: 16,237
Referee: George Selwood

Men's fixture

30 December 2023
17:30
(1 BP) Harlequins 32–26 Gloucester (2 BP)
Try: David (2) 7' m, 19' m
Dombrandt 23' m
Lamb 43' c
Care 54' c
Con: M. Smith (2/5) 44', 55'
Drop: M. Smith (1/1) 70'		 Report Try: Hastings 11' c
McGuigan 51' c
May 71' m
Penalty try 77'
Con: Hastings (2/3) 13', 52'
Twickenham Stadium
Referee: Adam Leal

Big Game 16

This would be the first Big Game in the Renamed, "Allianz Stadium". [3]

Women's Fixture

Men's fixture

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References

  1. 1 2 "The Big Game Is Back At Twickenham". Twickenham Stadium. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Club-by-club guide - Harlequins". BBC. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Twickenham Stadium". Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Big Summer Kick-Off". www.quins.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  5. ↑ Sheppard, Callum (23 December 2011). "Big Game 4 ticket sales set new record". The Big Game. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  6. ↑ "Harlequins 11-19 Saracens". BBC Sport. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  7. ↑ "Leinster make history in first women's club match at Twickenham". The Irish Times. 29 December 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Premiership fixtures announced". Harlequin FC. 29 September 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Harlequins Women Set New World Record For Club Game Attendance At Big Game 14". 4 March 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "'We are devastated' - Harlequins forced to postpone 'Big Game'". amp.rugbypass.com. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
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