Neighbouring the north stands at Twickenham the Cardinal Vaughan Car Park has seen the warm-up for countless rugby fixtures, most recently the RBS 6 Nations. On the 11th of March the guests of Champagne Bollinger basked in glorious sunshine awaiting England vs Scotland & the Calcutta Cup. The Cardinal Vaughan Car Park is unequalled in terms of pre-game socialising & networking, offering the chance for the great & good from many walks of life to entertain & be entertained. Tales of previous fixtures were traded and predictions swapped as fans from both sides congregated around picnic tables laden with food & drink.

Bollinger Special Cuvée as the apéritif was followed by a roasted celeriac soup with hazelnut pesto, accompanied by M.Chapoutier Chante-Alouette. Beef bourguignon, creamy mash & autumn vegetables & Roda Reserva followed & finally a selection of French cheeses, apricot tart & brownies paired with Taylor’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port.

England took home the Calcutta Cup along with the 6 Nations Championship and fans from both sides came together to celebrate & commiserate the result in the Bollinger Tent in the West Fan Village.

The 6 Nations has drawn to a close with England winning the trophy but unable to win the Grand Slam. This did not prove to be the case for the England Women’s team, who were guided by Captain Emily Scarratt and the Men’s under-20’s team who also managed the Slam. It is clear that this has been an outstanding chapter for English Rugby, with fantastic results in all areas, offering plenty of hope for the future of the game.