Unruly spectators at Twickenham felt the force of a crackdown on antisocial behaviour at the match between England and Wales last Saturday, with Richmond council issuing 24 fixed-penalty notices for public urination, the Guardian can reveal.
The Rugby Football Union is trying to persuade local residents to ditch their opposition to proposals to increase the number of concerts held every year from three to 15. Much of the opposition centres around antisocial behaviour experienced during England matches and, as revealed by the Guardian, the RFU hosted a drop-in event for residents in an effort to convince them that their concerns were being taken seriously.
Last Saturday, it is understood that 24 FPNs were handed out to those committing urinating offences which took place in a number of places including front gardens, alleyways, main roads, and bushes. That is despite attempts to tackle the problem by installing barriers in hotspots and deploying plain-clothed officers and stewards to ward off potential offenders. The FPN amount is £150 but if paid within 10 days it goes down to £100.
Councillor Gareth Roberts, leader of Richmond council, said: “We love the fact that Twickenham is the home of English Rugby and that people come from round the world to visit our borough and watch a match, but rugby fans should take this as a warning. If we catch you using our borough as a toilet, we will fine you. No ifs, no buts.”
As revealed by the Guardian in October, the union raised the possibility of using “anti-pee paint”, which is designed to leave offenders “covered in their own urine”, when applying for a new licence, which would have paved the way for more concerts.
Last month, the RFU laid out its plans to tackle antisocial behaviour. The union said it was “strengthening coordination with the relevant authorities and ensuring that antisocial behaviour has clear consequences, including working with the Metropolitan police, TfL, and Richmond council so matchday issues can be dealt with quickly and appropriately, and that fixed-penalty notices are being issued for offences such as public urination”.
When applying for a new licence in September, the RFU had a setback when Richmond council determined that the limit of three concerts – and only one not on a Saturday – must remain. The licensing subcommittee meeting was told that there were 192 representations against extending the RFU’s licence and only 13 in favour. One representation read: “The pavements and roads are unhygienic, and children are having to walk and scoot through dried urine and excrement,” while another provided evidence showing “urination and indecent exposure” on the individual’s property.
The RFU’s push for more concerts is running in two parts: licensing and planning. The union also had a setback with its planning application last summer but intends to reapply after the local elections in May as well as request a new licence. Before then, the union is on a charm offensive with local residents, vowing to “be the best neighbour we can be”.
There is only one more men’s international – against Ireland later this month – before the RFU resubmits its application to the council. Only five days before the local elections, however, Twickenham will host the annual Army v Navy match which has been notorious for antisocial behaviour in the past.
Meanwhile, Steve Borthwick is set to keep changes to a minimum for England’s trip to Scotland on Saturday after his side put Wales to the sword in a 48-7 win last weekend. Ollie Lawrence is expected to miss out on a return to the side with Tommy Freeman remaining in the centres with Fraser Dingwall. Borthwick is also poised to keep faith with hat-trick hero Henry Arundell and Tom Roebuck, who was a late call-up to replace the injured Immanuel Feyi-Waboso against Wales. In the pack, it would be a major surprise if Borthwick does not restore Maro Itoje to the second row and the captaincy.
England head to Murrayfield on the back of 12 straight wins to face a Scotland side who were stunned by Italy in Rome last week but the fullback Freddie Steward said: “Regardless of what has been before, when Scotland play England, you get the best of them. I don’t think it will affect their mentality too much but we know that when they come and play us, they’ll be full of emotion and ready to go.”
