Fiji and England face off in the second round of the Nations Championship on Saturday, July 11, at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, rather than at Twickenham or in Fiji. Both teams lost their opening matches: Fiji fell to Wales in Cardiff, while England were defeated by South Africa.
Why Liverpool Instead of Twickenham or Fiji?
The Pacific Islanders have chosen to stage their home matches in the northern hemisphere to maximize financial returns, with plans to host games in Fiji once facilities are expanded. For England, spreading rugby to the north is seen as a positive move to grow the sport beyond its traditional southern base.
Former England captain Bill Beaumont told Rugby World: “What a great thing for the North of England. We don’t get many of these. I never played an England game in the North. The North of England is a sporting area. Whatever sport, whatever code, it’s a hotbed. We have the big football clubs, the Test cricket grounds… the one thing missing is a big international rugby union presence in the North and now we have the opportunity.”
Scarcity and Atmosphere
Beaumont emphasized the unique appeal: “The scarcity value of England coming to town creates a special atmosphere at these games. This game gives the opportunity to northern kids to see their heroes in real life wearing the white jersey. And that is the generation which hopefully will carry the game on.”
Former England international Mark Cueto, a northern native, echoed the sentiment: “Let’s have one game a year in the North. Surely it would make sense to spread the international game around the country. People say Manchester isn’t a rugby union city but there are 100 grass-roots rugby clubs within 25 miles of Sale Sharks. There are 50,000 members within those 100 clubs. Football is big in the North, yes, but everyone plays everything. People are fans of sport full stop. If England played in the North more often, people would come.”
Match Details
Fiji versus England kicks off at 2:10 PM on Saturday, July 11, and will be broadcast live on ITV1. The Hill Dickinson Stadium, which hosted a Super League match between Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls last weekend, provides a fresh venue for international rugby union in the north of England.
