Official Leinster Supporters Club Guide to Twickenham and Reading

London Irish V Leinster Twickenham Stadium January 23 2010 Introduction

Despite the late venue change for this fixture the OLSC hopes you enjoy your stay in London and what looks to be a great match against the top two teams in Pool 6 of this season’s Heineken Cup.

Getting there

When flying to London there are a number of options, before booking make sure to take into account the time and additional cost of trains, as this fixture is being played at Twickenham Stadium the closest airports (in order) are Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Luton then Stansted.

Trains are probably the most reliable and cheapest way of getting to and from the ground from the airports. Twickenham has its own main line train station and the ground is about a ten-minute walk away. Visit www. thetrainline.co.uk for route information, prices and timetables. It may be cost efficient to buy a day travel card for zones 1-6 with an add on if required.

Please be aware that there can be engineering works on the rail network, for the most up to date information please visit www.nationalrail.co.uk/ service_disruptions

Getting to the stadium

Train/Tube: Regular mainline trains run to Twickenham Station from Waterloo and Reading. The London Underground runs to Richmond on the District Line and Hounslow on the Piccadilly Line. The London Overground also runs to Richmond.

Bus The buses 281, 267 and H22 both have regular services which pass close to the stadium. Alternatively, take the R68, R70, 290 or 490 to Twickenham village.

Road Twickenham Stadium is on the northern side of the A316 into London. From M25, exit at J12 onto M3. This becomes the A316, and Twickenham Stadium is off the Whitton Road roundabout next to the Lexus/Toyota car dealership. From London, turn right off the A316 at Whitton Road roundabout. Please ar- rive early to avoid congestion and temporary road closures prior to the event. Supporters HQ

The OLSC has established bases in both Twickenham and Reading as supporters are staying in both locations; these are designed to be a central meeting point for those travelling either alone or in a group. These are also good if this is your first away trip, you will be in the company of other members of the blue army before and after the match.

First up we have the William Web Ellis, 24 London Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 3RR

Located in the village and close proximity of Twickenham train station (to your left on exiting) and the stadium, the William Web Ellis is welcoming supporters across the weekend with a 20% discount on food on Saturday for all supporters wearing Leinster jerseys.

The bar is large, family friendly and has a number of screens where you can take in other Heineken Cup games across the weekend and also has complimentary wifi. It has a full restaurant menu operating all day (including breakfast!). The Walkabout, Wiston Terrace, RG1 1DG

For those supporters with plans to stay in Reading, the team at the Walkabout will welcome Leinster supporters throughout the weekend. The venue has large screens to watch other matches as well as the ‘Walkabout Boomerang VIP card’ (that can be purchased for £3 at the bar) which allows you to receive 25% off selected food and drinks at this and any other Walkabout nationwide. Transport from Reading to Twickenham

A number of free coaches will depart from Reading (Reading train station) between 1pm and 3.30pm, returning from Twickenham between 8.15pm and 10pm. Places must be booked in advance and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

To reserve your place, please email: transporttotwickenham@london- irish.com with the following information: number of places required, preferred departure time from Reading and your contact telephone number (please use the + 353 8X XXX XXXX format if using your mobile number).

Subject to availability, you will receive confirmation of your booking within 24 hours from [email protected], followed by a final email with all necessary details.

Flags & Banners

The OLSC has had discussions with the Dublin Airport Authority and has been advised that our flags (the ones handed out at the RDS with the hollow plastic flag pole) are safe to include in your carry on luggage, wherever possible please bring your own flag so we can turn the stadium blue.

Mobile phones

While in the UK you can roam on any mobile network, you will never pay more than 27c per minute to receive a call and 56c per minute to make a call back home. Texts are typically 25c to send and free to receive.

Like at home, the emergency number in the UK is 999 from both a pay phone and your mobile. Stadium Information and how to get there

The location of the stadium is:

Twickenham Stadium Rugby Road Twickenham TW1 1DZ Other stadium information can be found at: http://www.rfu.com/microsites/twickenham/index.cfm

Keep in contact with the OLSC

The OLSC is now on Facebook and Twitter

Join us online to be kept up to date with the latest OLSC news and merchandise information.

Facebook: Official Leinster Supporters Club Twitter: OLSCRugby Message from the coach

Dear Leinster Supporter,

On behalf of the squad and management I would like to thank you for your outstanding support of the Leinster team.

We renew acquaintances with London Irish this weekend having already played them in the opening Heineken Cup pool game. Though the result went against us that day, I was delighted with the manner of our victory in Brive the following week. We backed up that win in the south of France with two bonus point victories over the Scarlets before Christmas.

London Irish are a top-class side with strength in depth and they have been a consistent force both in the Guinness Premiership and in the Heineken Cup. We are under no illusion about the task at hand this weekend, but determined to finish these pool stages strongly.

I hope that you enjoy following the team once again in our journey across Europe this year. We are excited about the impending challenge and we are extremely appreciative of all of your support, both at home and away.

Your backing galvanised the squad to European success last year and you conducted yourselves superbly, making friends all over Europe. As champions of Europe we will be the team to beat, but the squad are determined to meet our opponents in a positive frame of mind.

I look forward to seeing you on the road.

All the best,

Michael Cheika Leinster Coach Message from the OLSC committee

The late move of stadium has meant this match will have a different feel than it might have in the Madejski Stadium, resulting in the fact that both sets of supporters will have to work even harder to make noise and get behind their teams. The team has conveyed the psychological boost they get from hearing their supporters in full voice so it is up to each and every one of us to give it our best short through out the match.

This is a crucial make or break tie and rest assured that London Irish and their supporters will be going all out to prove a point when taking on the European Champions on their own patch. Make no mistake, our support will be crucial. Get to the stadium early to soak up the atmosphere and most importantly take up position – an hour before kick off is ideal as you will be there for the warm up.

Twickenham is a wonderful stadium with plenty of facilities on offer (be warned prices can be a bit steep and security is tight so dont carry any glass, aerosols or hooters and allow time for a possible search) but it is very large and will take a concerted effort from supporters to raise the roof so, in brief, give it socks!

Hopefully we will see you in one of the Supporter HQs after the game.

C’MON LEINSTER!

OLSC committee

Bank of Ireland is regulated by the Financial Regulator