The best rugby pubs in London

This Fuller's pub claims to be the most famous rugby pub in the world. While we can't confirm that, we can tell you that it's found opposite Twickenham station, attracting a fair few loyal supporters for a pre- or post-match pint, as well as those who've missed out on match-day tickets and fancy soaking up some serious sports atmosphere. They even have private screening rooms available for hire if you and your mates fancy making the most of the action.

Flat Iron Square is a party-focussed hub for drinking, dining and dancing in the shadow of The Shard. They show all the major sporting events, including the Six Nations and for 2024 they're teaming up with Camden Town Brewery for a mini-festival of rugby. There'll be live performances and fast pour beer lanes as well as huge outdoor screens to watch all the action on, and private areas to book if you and your pals want to get away from the scrum and have some space to call your own.

Tucked away down a side street off busy Stroud Green Road, this is a dream of a rugby pub. Consequently, it's always busy, despite its hidden location. A front room holds several screens for match days and there's a studenty feel thanks to picnic table seating, perfect for raucous rugby fans. Plus, Thai food served here is great for soaking up celebratory pints - here's hoping.

Halfway down narrow Church Street, parallel to the Thames and the Eel Pie Island of early 1960s music lore, this likeable old pub is a real rugby haunt. Walls of framed tickets, colour caricatures and signed shirts line the far end of the two-space interior, historic prints of this sleepy neighbourhood the other. 

This isn’t your typical rugby pub, which is exactly why it has made this list. The unfussy, stripped Old China Hand is a Clerkenwell classic, with lots of tables (including some very iconic barrels), nice outside space and breezily efficient staff. For the 2024 Six Nations they'll be screening every match on their two TVs in a friendly, fun space. Want to avoid the red trousered masses? This is your sporting safehaven. 

If you're looking for atmosphere, this pub has it in spades. If you came for a pint here just once a decade, you wouldn’t find that much had changed. History hangs in the air and there's rugby on a large screen downstairs. The permanently crowded pavement out front is ideal for a post-match debrief.

This Richmond boozer draws a civilised crowd of rugby fans, who will be gripped by the big screen during games. The pub also serves a hefty ploughman’s, which seems like pretty decent half time fare to us. And despite it being pretty chilly out, the pub will be opening its patio bar and firing up the barbecue on match days, too.

This riverside Young's local has a real rugby fan following. There are also cabins outside under a wooden pergola with their own televisions and heaters, which can be reserved on certain days. Booking a private area means you won't have to embarrass your friends with your rude rugby chants. 

Get down to Shoreditch to catch the action on the pitch. The Long Arm Pub & Brewery on Worship Street has big screens showing off the sporting action. Not only that, but nervous punters can also secure a space for them and their mates with an advance private booking. 

One of Richmond’s most popular pubs screens all the rugger to the area’s loyal, local fanbase. Get a seat and grab some tempting grub. If you’re going all out, see about booking the secret bar upstairs, Dropkick Jonny’s, which offers a space for private screenings so you can feel the heat from your own rugby scrum.

In 1871, England players gathered here before the first ever international rugby union match, an event commemorated with a modest alcove of mementoes. You can book a seat for rugby screenings with a spot of history, and enjoy a cracking roast dinner once it's all over.

A landmark Young’s pub and rightly so, the large, Victorian-era Alma serves punters of all stripes gathered around a low, island bar. Some perch on barstools, others at tables nearer the windows: most will be gawping at the large, pull-down screen for big matches. Outside of these magic 80 minutes plus stoppages, the Alma attracts ale fans eager to sample Sambrook’s Wandle, Wells Bombardier or something from the regular Young’s range.

This pub gets busy for weekend lunches, so imagine how packed it is when the rugger comes around. But it all adds to the match-day atmosphere and you can book a spot for groups in advance to make sure you’re enjoying the sports in stylish Kensington surrounds. Get in a round of The Duke’s seasonal ale and the meat-based bar snacks – sausage rolls, scotch eggs and scratchings – to really do it in style.

Irish by professed nationality but global by nature, this gleaming and sprawling Covent Garden hostelry is sure to provide a bustling atmosphere for big games. It'll also encourage some healthy rivalry, with all nationalities (not just the Irish) flocking to the central London hotspot.

In summer, you can catch a tan and catch the action in this London Fields pub's outdoor area where screens show all the biggest and best sporting events. Luckily, it's fully heated and covered in winter months too. Fixtures are aired indoors on LED screens though, should you be feeling the chill regardless.

Thought Dalston was too cool for rugby? Think again. The Three Compasses just off Ridley Road busts out its projector screen for live action from the biggest sporting events, rugby included. The pub serves cracking match-day grub from regularly rotating street-food residencies in the kitchen.

Right on the river, this capacious barn of a bar makes best use of its prime location. What really brings in the punters is the chance to sink into a Chesterfield sofa by the fire, or find a spot to stand on the river-view first-floor veranda, down a pint and talk about the rugby match that’s just played out on the pub’s screens.

This Canadian sports bar may be more inclined to showing the ice hockey, but it’s a pretty trusty bet for most rugby matches too. Settle in to watch your team with a bowl of poutine, or with wings, dogs or burgers if you’re not into the cheesy delicacy.