I went to a PREM Rugby ‘Away Zone’ trial. Here’s why I think they could work…

Rugby World’s Josh Graham watches a game from one of the Gallagher PREM’s new 'away zones' – but can they really improve the matchday atmosphere? There are plenty of differences between football and rugby union but the most significant one off the field is the way fans are housed. Seating and standing are fairly commonplace in both but when you’re watching a round-ball game, you will be surrounded only by fellow brethren. Separate fan areas have been common in football at English grounds since the 1970s, something the Football Association says “has significantly reduced problems of spectator misbehaviour in stadia”. While rugby has, mercifully, not had to deal with anything like the surge in hooliganism that football had, it seems we can’t help but look on slightly jealously at the passionate pockets of vigorous support you see in most away areas. It is a culture. One of the so-called ‘rugby values’ surrounds the ability of fans to mix harmoniously. Married couples sit side by side in opposing jerseys at Six Nations games and friends spend the day together despite backing opposing sides in games like the East Midlands derby. It’s what many love so much about the game. Two tribes There are, of course, other ways fans are treated differently in football and rugby. The alcohol rules are significant. At football games, you have to do the merry dance of buying your drink in the concourse and downing it before you are allowed to return to your seat. In rugby, booze is rife in the stands and to a large extent beer sales are propping up the game – just think of what internationals at Twickenham add to the RFU’s coffers. While there are big rivalries in rugby – Saracens v Quins, Leicester v Northampton and Bristol v Bath to name just a few in the Gallagher PREM – you cannot reasonably argue that there is anywhere near the same level of tribalism or number of fans that live and breathe it as in football. That can definitely be a good thing. Nobody wants to see scenes of tear-gassing, violent clashes with police or fists flying across the divide separating opposing fans. But can rugby atmospheres be improved by affording away fans an easy way to sit together in the same area? In the zone That prospect, which it must be said has been pushed by some of us in the media to a degree, was enough to convince the powers-that-be at PREM Rugby to give it a whirl. And that is why travelled to Mattioli Woods Welford Road at the end of last season to see what all the fuss was about. I’m sceptical about whether an away zone can boost the atmosphere without segregation being mandated. It feels a little like an ‘all or nothing’ situation. However, Rugby World set off from London St Pancras to Leicester with an open mind. Executed well, this could tangibly enhance the match-day experience for fans. The official explanation for the trial comes from Rob Calder, the league’s chief growth officer who, in a previous guise, helped pioneer cricket’s The Hundred competition. He says: “The opportunity to trial these away zones during The Run-In is a progressive step for rugby and I’d like to extend a huge thank you to the clubs involved in facilitating trials. “Home and away fans sitting together, sharing a drink and chatting about the game is a great tradition of our sport and there is no desire to change that. This project is about providing an additional ticketing option to supporters. “We’ve also listened to our players who say that they thrive off the noise and energy that a vocal cluster of away support can bring. “We’re excited to see how these trials impact the match-day experience and atmosphere both inside the stadium and on screen.” Same here, so on this Sunday I’m masquerading as a Quins fan, sitting in the away zone. A guinea pig. A trial on trial We get off to a slow start when it transpires that our friends at Quinssa, the Quins Supporters’ Association, have already pre-booked their own tickets in a separate area. That raises two immediate questions. First, is this happening in grounds already? And second, is this trial going to be an effective test of what coherent away zones could look like over time? “Crap,” is what the first fan we meet says bluntly when we ask them what they think of it. Another fan, Paul, got into following Quins as he worked in sales with Joe Marler’s sister and he travels home and away a lot of the time. He already had a ticket before the trial was announced. “I don’t really understand the trial as Quinssa have always done it,” he says. “It might be different for other clubs. We are in a bar now with Tigers fans ten feet away. We respect each other and watch the game.” John Sweeney has been following Quins since 2008. After 17 years, he’s qualified to comment. “Away clubs generally try to help us out with an allocation. But if this is going to encourage people to come to the game then I’m all for it. I don’t think it will be like football as we are all in the rugby family together. If it creates an atmosphere too, then I have no issue with it. “But some clubs won’t have the travelling away support, which will have an impact. “If clubs allocate an area of 500 seats, then when are they going to be able to sell those on if they’re not used?” The legacy of Bristanbul The away zone concept can be traced back to Quins’ ridiculous comeback – dubbed Bristanbul after Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League triumph – from 28-0 down in the 2021 semi-final against Bristol at Ashton Gate. They eventually won 43-36 after extra time but one man in the stands that day was particularly vocal in support. Injured flanker Will Evans was waving his crutches and standing on his protective boot while making sure his team were loudly supported. Crucially that day, Bristol allocated Quins a certain section as there were Covid attendance restrictions. A Norwich City football fan, Evans thinks the introduction of dedicated away zones is “long overdue” in our sport. Another example for his case came in Paris in 2023, when Quins sunk Racing 92 on their own patch with a congregated loud group of fans inspiring them to glory. So there is method to the madness – as some fans regard this new idea. Such was his strength of feeling on the matter, Evans took to social media after that game in France to write: “Rugby stadiums NEED a designated away fan area that stays the same year on year. It’s impossible to create this level of atmosphere without it. Atmosphere = higher attendances/crazier games/better-quality rugby. “We can’t continue to hold the game back any longer. This bizarre myth that if people of the same club all sit together they will be violent or inciteful is mind-numbing. It’s bordering on arrogance that we think we are the only sport where people can sit together and not be violent. “Average attendances around the leagues are awful (even in Europe). It’s BAD to play in. Players want this. You will see a better product because of it. By all means, sit in the home end and chat with the locals, no problem. But it adds very little to the atmosphere inside. “No one’s going to stop you from buying a ticket in the designated home section. Nor is anyone saying cordon or segregate anyone. But if fans want to add to the spectacle on the pitch by creating an atmosphere you can’t get by the current situation, why on earth stop that!?” Strong words indeed. Building blocks We put Evans’s view to Sweeney before Leicester v Harlequins kicks off. “Will always interacts with the fans and we sang our hearts out that night. So yes, if you can get everyone sitting together you can generate some noise and then the hosts respond.” There’s certainly some nuance then. Not least because it does feel like I’m trying to sell ice to the eskimos when talking to the Quinssa lot, who admirably have put lots of time into co-ordinating their impressive operation. Quinssa chair Phil Gibson tells us: “We have been organising blocks of tickets away for 20-odd years. “We used to book 100-odd seats for our coaches and then others sat elsewhere. “The spirit of our game is that you are going to have a beer with the opposition fans before, during and after the game and long may that continue. “But if we can get a block together that makes a bit of noise for the 80 minutes of the game, I think it creates more atmosphere for the home supporters and you can get behind your team a bit more than individual or random shouts. So we are all for small blocks that aren’t segregated and aren’t called away ends.” It’s this blurring of the words to describe the concept which can ignite the debate. “It’s not football” Of course, we are met with the usual, “It’s not football” responses from both Leicester and Quins supporters. And while we totally get that, it’s a binary response to the multifaceted offering PREM Rugby are trying to deliver for fans. Flags on the benches in the zone are a great start to our actual match experience, but as feared the Quins support is still slightly fragmented. In the first game of this trial, when Gloucester travelled to Saracens, the away fans told Fergus Burke, “You’re just a s*** Owen Farrell”. There isn’t anything as punchy on offer here. Cameron Anderson’s over-enthusiasm to challenge Freddie Steward in the air eventually not only does him a disservice but gets him sent off with two yellow cards for dangerous in-the-air collisions. Adam Radwan’s hat-trick puts an out-of-sorts Quins to the sword. Tigers had more to play for and it clearly showed. The only time we got right out of our seat came with Luke Northmore’s intercept try on the stroke of half-time. It happened right in front of us, and to be fair, we felt the noise more than usual. The stats back that up as PREM data suggests the 8.9 fan rating for atmosphere for the game (wherever you were sat) is only topped by The Big Game hosted at Twickenham. Evans notably comes over to clap the away fans after the full-time whistle. But if he’s to get his wish then the teething problems we heard and experienced ourselves need to be ironed out. With some longer-term planning and co-operation from clubs, that is possible. Maybe PREM Rugby can have their cake and eat it, with no segregation but a lively away zone. But one thing’s for sure, you ought to get out and try it. Away Day Tips Co-ordinate with fellow fans We found that although we were technically in the trial away zone, the majority of the Quins fans were a bit more to the left of us. Some supporters’ groups tend to book their own allocations well in advance, so you need to be on top of things as this is a new PREM initiative still finding its feet. Use the flags Upon arrival at our seats (bench), we were delighted to find a complimentary Quins flag. Get waving yours to show your true colours when deep behind enemy lines. Make the most of moments As it turned out, we had little to cheer about as an away Quins fan for the day. So when you get a good moment – don’t hold back, let rip! Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.