The Big Game (rugby)

The Big Game is an annual rugby union match hosted by Harlequins during the Christmas holiday season each year. It is one of Harlequins' regular home matches in the Premiership Rugby but it is moved from their usual home ground at the Twickenham Stoop (14,816 capacity[1]) to the much larger Twickenham Stadium (82,000 seats[2]).

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

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.

Big Game 1
See also: 2008–09 Premiership Rugby
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
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU)

Big Game 2
See also: 2009–10 Premiership Rugby
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
Attendance: 76,716
Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU)
  • Big Game 2 set a record Premiership attendance of 76,716.[3]

Big Game 3
See also: 2010–11 Premiership Rugby
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
Attendance: 74,212
Referee: Andrew Small (RFU)

Big Game 4
See also: 2011–12 Premiership Rugby
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
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
  • 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.[4]

Big Game 5
See also: 2012–13 Premiership Rugby
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
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)

Big Game 6
See also: 2013–14 Premiership Rugby
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
Attendance: 74,827
Referee: JP Doyle (RFU)

Big Game 7
See also: 2014–15 Premiership Rugby
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
See also: 2015–16 Premiership Rugby
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
See also: 2016–17 Premiership Rugby
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
See also: 2017–18 Premiership Rugby
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
Attendance: 77,825
Referee: JP Doyle

Big Game 11
See also: 2018–19 Premiership Rugby
29 December 2018
16:00
Harlequins 20-13 Wasps
Try: Alex Dombrandt, Marchant
Con: Smith (2)
Pen: Marcus Smith (2)
 report Try: Stuart
Con: Sopoaga
Pen: Daly, Sopoaga
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

Big Game 12
See also: 2019–20 Premiership Rugby
28 December 2019
16:30
Harlequins 30-30 Leicester Tigers
Twickenham Stadium
Attendance: 75,500

Big Game 13
See also: 2020–21 Premiership Rugby

Pending developments with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Big Game 13 will be held in spring 2021. Further details are due to be announced.[5]


References
  1. "Club-by-club guide - Harlequins". BBC. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  2. "Twickenham Stadium". Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  3. Sheppard, Callum (23 December 2011). "Big Game 4 ticket sales set new record". The Big Game. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  4. "Harlequins 11-19 Saracens". BBC Sport. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  5. "Premiership fixtures announced". Harlequin FC. 29 September 2020.
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