All at Jersey RFC are looking forward to welcoming you to Jersey. To help your trip go as smoothly as possible, here is some information to assist with your visit to Jersey RFC.
FRIDAY NIGHT
The club will be open every Friday evening where there is a home game the following day. A good chance to meet some ‘native’ supporters, engage in some pre-match banter, have a ‘recce’ of the ground and pick up your tickets for the game the next day. The Barclays Pavilion will be open between 5.30 and 7.30pm, and Sean the Club Manager will be providing some free nibbles.
PRE-MATCH LUNCH
The Pavilion Bar at JRFC will be open from 12noon, this offers full bar, including locally-brewed Liberation Ale on handpump, plus food such as ‘special of the day’, ‘posh dogs’, pasties, burgers etc. It can get quite busy in the hour leading up to kick-off.
During the summer we have purchased some mobile units for around the ground and these will also be serving food and drink.
There are various other ‘off-site’ options, the first of which is actually the neighbouring Jersey Bowl which backs onto the club and does a good trade in pre-match rugby lunches (and Liberation Ale!) and tables can be booked there.
There are three pubs within walking distance of the ground. Two are in St Peter’s Village: the Star & Tipsy Toad and the St Peter’s Inn, although they’re not particularly ‘rugby pubs’ as such and are probably 15 minutes walk away. We got some decent feedback from a few Pirates’ fans about the Star, and there’s a betting shop next door. Or there’s the Mermaid opposite the airport and adjacent to the Lakeside Manor Care Home (5 minutes walk).
Other options might be some of the restaurants in St Aubin which is a 5-minute taxi ride away. The Boathouse is one venue that offers transport up to the club, and the Salty Dog, Cheffins & Old Court House have a rugby lunch as well, while in nearby St Brelade the Oyster Box & Sugar Reef have a similar pre-match option, as does the Prince of Wales in Greve de Lecq. But a booking at any restaurant and a 2.15 taxi would work fine.
THE MATCH
For the match itself Ground Admission is £15 and £3 for juniors aged 13-16, it’s a good idea to arrive at least 30-40 minutes before the off. The small stand is fully subscribed, with the exception of seats for the invited officials as above. If there is anyone who has particularly severe mobility issues then Jersey will try and help out with vacant stand seats, but these are at a premium and can’t be guaranteed. We have allocated two tiered benches for anyone who has difficulty in standing for long periods of time. Please call the club on 01534 499929 between 10am and 1pm Thursday or Friday if you need to arrange a seat. Tickets can be obtained on Friday at the club, but will also be readily available on match-day.
POST-MATCH
Last season we had difficulty accommodating everyone in the Main Clubhouse after the match. Therefore this season, access will initially be limited to members and anyone in possesion of a wrist band. Ideally, we do not want to exclude anyone from the clubhouse and, once we are below our fire limit, we will let supporters in. The Pavilion bar and outlets around the ground will stay open for supporters and normally things start to wind down around 7pm when people hit St Aubin or St Helier.
TRANSPORT
For those flying in/out on the day, the ground is less than 10 minutes walk from the airport. A taxi to/from the ground to town (St Helier) will be around £15. Or there’s the No 9 bus to/from St Helier (£1.70) which stops outside the ground or the number 15 to the Airport (also £1.70; get off at the penultimate stop, The Mermaid, and it’s a 5-minute walk). Return bus times will be posted at the main gate on the day of the match or you can visit www.mybus.je.
Finally, we hope you have an enjoyable day at Jersey RFC and we look forward to the return visit to the Athletic Ground on 2nd March 2013.
