The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has predicted that seven million extra pints of beer will be sold in pubs during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship, boosting the sector by £27 million and giving HMRC a windfall of £7.6 million from extra beer duty and VAT.[1]
The Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship starts on Saturday 1st February and ends on Saturday 14th March, with all 15 matches taking place on weekends. All games will be available to show on BBC and ITV, meaning the Great British pub is set to be the place to watch the championship, driving extra sales for pubs compared to a usual weekend at this time of year.
In a survey by MatchPint, shared with the BBPA, more pub going sports fans (43.12%) identified the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship as the event they were most looking forward to over the 2019/20 winter period. The tournament ranked higher than Premier League football (33.44%), Anthony Joshua’s fight against Andy Ruiz (15.95%) and the Super Bowl (6.16%).[2]
Driven by increased interest in rugby from the good runs of the Home Nations at the recent Rugby World Cup, MatchPint also forecast that the number of people searching for a pub to watch the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship in will grow by 29.5% compared to last year’s tournament.[3]
As the home of live sport on the TV, and in anticipation of increased footfall, pubs up and down the UK have been getting ready for the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship.
One such pub is The Cabbage Patch, based in Twickenham – the home of England rugby. A famous rugby pub in its own right, run by pub manager Stuart Green, The Cabbage Patch is showing all the Six Nations games and has been kitted out with flags, scarves and other rugby themed decorations. It has also put up an “Instagram wall” in the pub for pubgoers to share their own pictures with during the championship and will also be hosting Q&A sessions with various former rugby players throughout the championship calendar.
Rugby fans looking to soak up the full Six Nations experience at the pub can visit MatchPint.com, or download the MatchPint App, to find pubs in their local area showing the games along with special offers.
Emma McClarkin, a passionate rugby supporter, former RFU employee and Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, commented: “There’s no better place to enjoy live sport on the telly than at the pub with fellow friends and family, so it’s great to see so many rugby fans planning to watch the Six Nations at their local.
“With matches taking place at favourable times on the weekends, the Six Nations will be a welcome boost to our sector. We expect a boost of 7 million pints of beer sold in pubs due to those watching the matches.”
Stuart Green, Manager of the famous rugby pub The Cabbage Patch, commented: “It was great to welcome Emma to The Cabbage Patch and tell her about the fantastic things we have planned for the Six Nations.
“It doesn’t matter which team’s colours your wearing, rugby is an inclusive sport, so where better to watch it than at the pub with friends and fellow fans. As the most famous rugby pub in the world, The Cabbage Patch will be packed out with a unique atmosphere, great beer and tasty food for all the Men’s and Women’s Six Nations games that only a pub can provide.”
Dom Collingwood, Co-founder of MatchPint, commented: “There are few better sporting occasions than watching the Six Nations, surrounded by friends, strangers, and opposition fans alike in a great pub or bar.
“It’s one of a handful of events that attracts ‘flirts’ into sport each year, together with international football tournaments and major boxing fights. As such, we see huge spikes in the number of people looking for a great pub nearby
In 2019, more than 2M people used MatchPint to find a pub nearby showing their game of choice. With this network of both venues and consumers in place, brands are able to run powerful and measurable digital campaigns in the on trade, which include an innovative vouchering and promotional platform. During the Six Nations, MatchPint will be running their third iteration of the Guinness Pint Predictor, a brilliant game in which customers can predict the score for the chance to win tickets to the Six Nations.
The Milford Arms, West London, is another pub showing all the Six Nations games. Run by publican Natalie Coleshill, the award-winning pub is famous for its multi-screen viewing offer, meaning rugby fans will never miss the action. The Milford Arms has a total of 9 screens including a garden TV and will also be serving food throughout the games.
The Queens Tap, Swindon, will also be showing all the Six Nations games. Run by landlady Nikki – both a rugby fan and player – the pub will be fitted out with inflatable rugby balls and goalposts, as well as flags, bunting and posters, to give it a unique matchday vibe. It will also be serving a special Six Nations beer and burgers themed around each of the Home Nations playing in the championship.
[1] Prediction based on BBPA Sales Volume Survey sales data
[2] MatchPint survey, issued in November 2019 regarding sports taking place over the 2019/20 winter period. Survey responses were completed by 909 consumers that have watched sport in a pub during 2019
[3] Prediction based on historical usage of MatchPint taken from Google Analytics