“We want the Army Navy match to be welcoming to all our rugby supporters,” says ARU vice-chair
Army Rugby Union Brig James Cook OBE (CASTLE) says that everyone within the organisation is delighted to be able to announce ticket details for the 2022 Army Navy match, and hopes that the occasion will be welcoming to all rugby supporters.
Ticket information was confirmed earlier today for the April 30th clashes at Twickenham, which will see both the Men’s and Women’s teams go head-to-head with their Royal Navy counterparts as the Inter-Services Championship reaches its climax.
This year’s match will be historic for a number of reasons.
Not only is it the first time that the Army and Navy will be locking horns since 2019, but this year’s occasion will both mark the 95th Men’s match at Twickenham, and the 1st time that the Women will have had the opportunity to play at the home of England Rugby.
Tickets are now on sale to serving and former Army personnel, who can apply for tickets via their respective Corps ticket representative.
Tickets will then go on general sale on February 17th via the RFU. Family Zone and accessible tickets can only be ordered via the RFU.
Image – Army v Navy Match © Andrew Fosker
Responding to spectators’ feedback, for the first time the Army Navy Match Committee is introducing a family zone, and Brig Cook says that not only can everyone associated with Forces rugby look forward with certainty towards the year’s biggest occasion, but that it can be a day for our rugby supporters of all ages to enjoy.
“Everyone at the Army Rugby Union is delighted that we are able to announce ticket details for the 2022 Army Navy match, and I would like to thank Chris Fowke and Steve Bates in the office, along with our friends at the Royal Navy Rugby Union and Rugby Football Union for all their hard work in getting everything in place,” he said.
“It will be a fantastic occasion, with the 95th men’s match at Twickenham and the 1st women’s match on the main pitch: after two years of uncertainty, we now have a concrete fixture to focus on.
“We’re particularly happy to announce that for the first time we will have a dedicated family zone within the stadium. The Army Navy match can be a boisterous event so it is important that we have an area where parents and their children are not surrounded by the louder and more vocal supporters, and that we can look to make our showpiece day more welcoming to our rugby supporters of all ages.
“There is a lot of work still to do on and off the pitch but we’re in a good place!”
The match announcement comes after two years of frustration and doubt since the 2020 Inter-Services Championship was cancelled at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. But now with the lockdowns left behind both Senior Head Coaches are looking forward to leading their teams to Twickenham.
“Having the ticket information announced for the Army Navy game is a massively exciting step forward,” said Men’s Senior Head Coach Capt Mal Roberts (RLC). “After the last two years it is giving us something tangible to look forward to as the culmination of our season, especially as we are now taking the next steps of our preparation with the squad.
“Twickenham is always special for anyone associated with Army Rugby, whether as a player, coach or staff member, and hopefully we will see the stands full at the end of April.”
Image – Army v Navy Match © Neil Kennedy
His Women’s counterpart, Maj Gemma Stonebridge-Smith MBE (AGC (ETS)), added: “After the bitter disappointment of Inter-Services 2020 being cancelled it is fantastic to see the tickets for Army Navy 2022 go on sale.
“While it is the current crop of players that will take to the field, there is a significant amount of effort from those past and present players, management and support staff that have been working towards this historic day for a long time and we are all really honoured to have the privilege.”
“Although it has been a relatively short representative season, I think we have shown in our first couple of fixtures the quality and ability we have in the squad and we still haven’t hit first gear! “
“The number of new players this season who are already putting their hand up for Inter-Services selection is really positive not just for this season but the next couple of seasons. I have no doubt that the rugby on display come Army Navy day will be truly reflective of the occasion and the players are genuinely excited to play at Twickenham for the first time.”
Tickets are also on sale for the Inter-Services Championship opener against the RAF, which will be played at Kingsholm, home of Gloucester, on Saturday, March 26th.
The Women’s game kicks off at 1100hrs with the Men kicking off at 1515hrs.
Seated tickets are £20 for adults, £15 for concessions (Forces, NHS staff, students, 18-25 year-olds, over-65s) and £1 for juniors.
Standing tickets are £15 for adults, £10 for concessions (Forces, NHS staff, students, 18-25 year-olds, over-65s) and £1 for juniors.
Words © New Dogs Old Tricks.
Header and Featured Image – Army v Navy Match © Andrew Fosker
