Lozowski: Showdown Saracens match at Tottenham good for Prem Rugby
England’s Prem Rugby takes an almighty leap of faith later this month, staging three of its five Round 12 fixtures at stadiums more than double the home team’s usual arenas.
On Saturday 28 March, Gloucester Rugby take on Leicester Tigers at Aston VIlla’s Villa Park and Bristol Bears host Harlequins at Wales’s Principality Stadium.
But the most exciting battle of the three sees Northampton Saints travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on Saracens.
It’s the sixth time Saracens have taken a game from their Stone X home in Barnet to Tottenham, and Spurs fan and Saracens playmaker Alex Lozowski says the move is good for a sport which is crying out for interest and investment.
“These are world class stadiums,” Lozowski tells CityAM. “Quality places to play sport, and to a different kind of audience.
“It makes it a bit more interesting, gets more people through the door, and introduces people to the game. I’ve also been to Tottenham to watch football when I was injured and watch the game, drinking, the live bands and whatnot; it’s a full match experience.”
Prem Rugby time to shine
Prem Rugby has been keen to put its 10 teams in an investment shop window, and recently had plans approved by the sanctioning RFU Council that ringfence the top flight with a view to its expansion – potentially to 20 teams – by 2040.
Part of this, it is hoped, will see overseas investors jostle to acquire existing or new teams, often dictated by geography. And playing matches at arenas like the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium may prove an attractive draw.
Lozowski praises next Saturday’s hosts for how they manage to keep fans in the stadium hours before and after the game itself. Dizzee Rascal is performing next weekend.
“You actually want to get in there early and make the most of the atmosphere and the vibe,” the five-cap England international adds.
“There’s loads of different places to get food, there’s bars and drinks. I think just stuff going on really, a good atmosphere.
“Playing a big game in the big stadium does make it more visible. It’s good for the sport.
“We’re competing with football in this country, and with cricket, so if we can celebrate the athletes that we do have in the big stadium then that can only be a good thing for everybody.”
One of those personalities is likely to be Henry Pollock, who has emerged as one of the few personalities in rugby to break through into the wider sporting conversation.
Players on tour
Elsewhere Saracens will call upon England captain Maro Itoje, former England captain Jamie George and a range of other stars, while Northampton Saints will likely line up with their England contingent too.
“Henry has made a name for himself in his short career so far,” former Wasps and Montpellier player Lozowski continues. “He’s definitely a selling point because of his personality, because of his character, because of visibility out there. And it’s another reason for people to go and buy a ticket and come to the ground.”
The match will be shown on ITV and on TNT Sports, but it is hoped major events like this one will help Prem Rugby show it can compete with the likes of the French Top 14.
“For us players to be playing in the stadium is really cool,” the 32-year-old Sale Sharks-bound back concludes. “It is one of the best stadiums in the world and it is good for more supporters to experience something a bit different – rugby grounds can be old fashioned – and very unique. That’s the main thing.”
For tickets to Saracens v Northampton Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 28 March, click here.