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A hall of people watching the rugby
Photograph: Boxpark

The best places in London to watch the Six Nations 2024

Scrum down for the return of the rugby at these top-quality screenings

Rosie Hewitson
Chiara Wilkinson
Written by
Rosie Hewitson
Contributor
Chiara Wilkinson
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The Six Nations rugby tournament is back for 2024, taking over pubs, beer gardens and outdoor screens across London most weekends up until Saturday March 16. 

Having won the tournament for a fifteenth time with a Grand Slam last time round, Ireland have gotten off to a great start defending their title, beating Italy and France in the first two rounds of fixtures, while England also remain unbeaten so far.

There are loads of rugby pubs and bars all over London showing  matches, but if you’re looking for big screens and plenty of seats and atmos, check out our pick of the best places to watch all the rugger action in the capital.

Where to watch the Six Nations in London

At 26,000 square feet, Walthamstow’s Big Penny Social is apparently the biggest beer hall in the UK, which makes it an excellent pick if you’re after a lively atmosphere. It’ll be showing Six Nations matches on two large projectors and loads of smaller individual screens, while there are 20 taps of beer and a menu of small plates, pizzas and burgers to keep your belly filled. 

Big Penny Social. Free, £10pp holding deposit per person for parties of more than 11. Booking recommended.

  • Attractions
  • Community centres
  • Bloomsbury

Do you hail from the other side of the Severn Bridge? If Wales are playing, the beautiful London Welsh Centre in Bloomsbury is an great place to watch with fellow expats. Take in all the action on a 170-square-foot screen while snacking on street food from a variety of Welsh vendors and sinking a few pints of Welsh beer. Just be sure to book in advance, as it often sells out Iechyd da! 

London Welsh Centre. £10 (or free with £40 annual membership). Find out more here

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  • Bars and pubs
  • Pubs
  • Finsbury Park
  • price 1 of 4

Get to Finsbury Park’s beloved rugby pub The Faltering Fullback at least two hours early if you want to secure a table – if not, it’s standing room only, and things get real cosy. If you lose your mates in the nook-filled three-storey beer garden, just make new ones. Much easier.

Faltering Fullback. Free entry, arrive as early as possible.

  • Attractions
  • Wembley

For those tired of cramming themselves into poky pubs, try Boxpark Shoreditch, Croydon or Wembley. Each venue is set up with large HD screens and a solid choice of street-food vendors for the Six Nations. The crowds will be huge, but the indoor-outdoor set-up allows for some space to breathe, which means you’re much less likely to spend the game in the armpit of a stranger’s England jersey. 

Various Boxpark venues. General admission (with guaranteed seat and one drinks token) £10, register in advance. Find out more here

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The one for cheap drinks
  • Bars and pubs
  • Breweries
  • Walthamstow

Walthamstow’s Pillars Brewery might look like the kind of place where you’d be paying north of £7.50 per pint, but an afternoon of rugger here is surprisingly wallet-friendly. Pints here during Six Nations matches cost just a fiver. And if ‘the lads’ are losing, you could always just pop into God’s Own Junkyard next door. If that cavern of neon lights can’t lift your mood, nothing will.

Pillars Brewery. Free entry, or reserve a seat for £5 and get your first pint free.

Vinegar Yard is always a safe bet for finding likeminded collar-erectors to watch the rugger with. Why not combine some pints, the big game and a stroll around its weekend flea market? You can catch all the action on its outdoor courtyard screen and adjacent covered bar, and there’s food from the likes of Nanny Bill’s, Baba G’s and Bad Boys Pizza Society
Vinegar Yard. England games (with guaranteed seat and one drinks token) £11.50, register in advance. Find out more here
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  • Things to do
  • Southwark

London Bridge drinking and dining destination Flat Iron Square has had a big makeover just in time for the Six Nations, and is partnering with local craft beer maven Camden Town Brewery for the tournament this year. The pair are promising all sorts of additional entertainment alongside screenings, from live music and DJs to appearances from famous faces and something they’re calling the ‘scrumbola’. A range of packages are available for larger bookings, including The Grand Slam, which includes a bespoke area for up to 15 guests with a private screen and dedicated host.

Flat Iron Square. General admission (with guaranteed seat and one Camden Town token) £11.25, register in advance. Find out more here

The one in an actual stadium
  • Sport and fitness
  • Rugby
  • Twickenham

The world’s largest rugby union venue and the official home of England Rugby, the 82,000 capacity Twickenham Stadium not only hosts England’s third-round fixture against defending champions Ireland, but will also be staging a big old screening party for the final day of fixtures at its massive East Stand Clubhouse Bar. There’ll be large screens situated throughout the venue so you don’t miss a single second of action, while there’ll be pool tables, classic arcade games and pitchside views to keep you entertained in between matches. Tickets even include a free main from the menu of street food-style snacks on offer throughout the day.

Not into rugby? Find the best football pubs in London

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