'we Don't Want To Be Like Football, But...' - Inside Rugby's 'away End'

The referee initially allowing a Leicester effort contempt a clear knock-on successful nan build-up. Harlequins helping Cameron Anderson, concussed connected nan floor, being shown a reddish card. England team-mates Alex Dombrandt and Ollie Chessum squaring up.

There were plentifulness of flashpoints astatine Mattioli Woods Welford Road connected Saturday.

Yet nan dedicated distant fans conception stubbornly refused to ignite into much than mild frustration.

On nan fringes, wherever Richard Buck, sporting a Harlequins' striped blazer, and Phil Ellis, a somewhat bewildered Leicester play summons holder of 16 years, sat broadside by side, nan only point lobbed betwixt nan 2 were pleasantries and cheery mini talk.

"I've been a spot ambused by this today," Ellis smiled. "You usually get nan overseas smattering of distant fans but this is simply a spot much concentrated than normal."

"They are each bully lads though."

'Away ends get successful rugby' shouted nan headlines - including our's - past period erstwhile Premiership Rugby past announced 2 proceedings matches pinch specified areas for visiting supporters.

It is simply a communicative pinch mates of caveats though.

Firstly, they aren't really distant ends. At slightest surely not nan aggro-and-pyro, strict segregation script nan building brings to mind successful this country.

Fans are not kept apart. And neither are they forced to beryllium pinch their ain tribe. The action to operation successful pinch nan hosts is still location and taken by many.

And, secondly, distant ends haven't conscionable arrived successful rugby. Travelling instrumentality groups person been block-booking sections of guidance stands disconnected their ain backs for decades.

Quinssa - Harlequins' supporters association, external - are 1 of nan astir proactive.

They person concentrated much than a 1000 fans together connected European jaunts, wherever summons offices are much accommodating and nan thought of immoderate travelling fans is novel.

Their members, fixed a dedicated area because of Covid restrictions of nan time, helped animate their team's semi-final comeback against Bristol astatine Ashton Gate successful 2021.

Their club's travel to Welford Road, which holds much than 25,000, was an evident prime for nan Premiership's trial.

"It is simply a awesome initiative," said Leicester main executive Andrea Pinchen, playing host.

"We want to beryllium innovative, we want to effort caller things and it adds to nan ambiance pinch fans of some sides getting louder and louder,"

Her Quins counterpart Laurie Dalrymple, who was antecedently managing head of Premier League shot broadside Wolves, agrees.

"It isn't nan catch-all that is going to hole each nan challenges we person had successful our athletics complete nan past fewer years, but not needfully astir that," he said.

"It is astir giving a somewhat different instrumentality acquisition for nan diversifying assemblage that we request to scope and grow."

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There was surely a diverseness of opinions successful nan stands.

Neither Buck aliases Ellis thought it was necessary.

"We each should mix," said Ellis. "I person been each complete nan state pinch Leicester and I don't want to peculiarly beryllium pinch Leicester fans, I conscionable spell and look for nan champion seat!"

Elsewhere, location was support.

"If you are pinch group you know, who support nan aforesaid team, you are going to beryllium much confident," said Megan Schroeder.

"You are going to chant more, you are going to singing more, location is much hype and enjoyment.

"Whereas if you are conscionable surrounded by guidance fans, it makes you deliberation you mightiness conscionable beryllium and beryllium quiet.

"There is simply a logic why shot useful truthful well. We don't want to beryllium for illustration football, but we still want an constituent of that competition. Definitely."

"I americium each for it," added Brandon Wells.

"It builds nan atmosphere, and you are much inclined to recreation if you are sat pinch group you cognize and you tin singing nan aforesaid songs.

"I americium worried our crippled is going to die. We request to turn nan crippled and this is simply a measurement successful nan correct direction."

Nick and Joel Baker, attending pinch their Leicester-supporting partners and sat among nan Tigers fans, summed up nan split.

"I americium a spot much aged school," said Nick. "I for illustration mixing successful together and having a laughter and a spot of fun. There is ne'er immoderate nastiness astatine rugby, it's not for illustration shot wherever you request nan segregation. I americium not a awesome instrumentality of it, to beryllium honest."

"I deliberation it is bully to person nan option," said Joel. "If you support a nine and now unrecorded successful a different portion of nan country, it is bully to beryllium successful pinch your chap fans.

"I person lived successful Leicester for 5 aliases six years and it is bully to perceive immoderate acquainted accents erstwhile they travel to town."

As Leicester's lead stretched retired successful nan 2nd half, nan measurement dipped connected nan London voices though.

The lowing sound of 'C'mon you Quins' and much youthful chanting of prima fly-half Marcus Smith's sanction go little predominant and much quiet.

Only 500-odd strong, Harlequins fans were improbable to break done often, moreover if nan lucifer had been much even.

By contrast, Gloucester's fans, congregated successful nan much sparsely-attended Stonex Stadium for past weekend's first proceedings match, made their beingness felt and voices heard, external pinch immoderate pithy chants astir nan deficiencies of London life and Saracens fly-half Fergus Burke.

Whatever Burke made of it, different players person been supportive of nan idea.

Harlequins flanker Will Evans, who has spoken astir nan benefits of distant support for visiting teams and nan convention arsenic a whole,, external notably offered up applause to nan Quins section.

Leicester's players besides relish focused pockets of support erstwhile connected nan road, according to Pinchen.

Whether they will spot much of it connected adjacent season's travels will dangle connected really Premiership Rugby, who will rebrand nan title for nan adjacent campaign, and its clubs' leaders, not each of whom person initially been keen, measure these 2 experiments.

Judging by Saturday though, immoderate description won't beryllium nan extremist alteration to matchday alchemy immoderate traditionalists astir feared.