Rugby fans sleep in pub to watch early morning World Cup matches

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

With some Rugby World Cup games being screened live from Japan in the small hours of the morning, pub retailer and brewer Greene King turned one London pub into a makeshift dormitory, so avid fans could wake up on-site.

Sports enthusiasts at the Assembly House in Kentish Town were guaranteed a front row seat for the 5.45am Italy vs Namibia game ahead of the opening home nation clashes of Ireland vs Scotland and England vs Tonga games on Sunday morning.

The pub was given a bedroom makeover, complete with beds, bedside tables and lamps, while occupants were provided with a nightcap, an eye mask and earplugs.

The pub retailer and brewer, which has over 1,700 establishments across the country, set up the rugby dorm for one night only, to celebrate the opening home nation games over the weekend.

“We know there’s nothing better than watching the rugby in the pub surrounded by other fans – you just can’t beat the atmosphere,” said Chris Conchie, head of sport at Greene King.

“With this year’s Rugby World Cup taking place in Japan, and some matches set to start as early as 5am due to the eight-hour time difference, we wanted to ensure that rugby fans didn’t miss out on the experience of viewing the games at their local pub.

“The pub dormitory went down a storm and was the perfect way to watch the early morning games.”

The final is set to take place on 2 November, with a total of 48 matches during the tournament.

SWNS