The 10th iteration of the hotly anticipated Rugby World Cup gets underway in France in September, as Les Bleus take on three-time winners New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
At the time of writing, the availability and precise location of fan parks around the UK remains unknown, with this information set to be confirmed just prior to the tournament’s start date. So, if you’re in the UK’s second city of Birmingham and want to watch the action outside of your home, you may be unsure of exactly where to go.
However, there are several bars and hotspots that will broadcast matches live in Birmingham, including home nations and the knockout stages. Below, you’ll find some of the best such locations, along with a brief description of what sets them apart!
#1. The Trocadero, Temple Row
Located on the iconic Temple Row in the City Centre, The Trocadero will be one of the go-to bars if you want to watch the RWC23 action this autumn.
This historic location also offers a truly authentic experience while watching the action unfold, with The Trocadero one of the city’s most historical haunts and one that stocks a broad (and often unusual) selection of cask ales and craft beers.
Interestingly, ‘The Troc’ has reinvented itself as a sports bar in recent years, combining its drinks menu with high quality cuisine to create a more immersive viewing experience. Although it doesn’t have a particularly large screen, the venue is cosy and capable of producing an exceptional atmosphere on match day!
#2. O’Neill’s, Broad Street
Broad Street remains the heartbeat of Birmingham’s city centre, with this iconic stretch of road home to a huge range of sports bars and restaurants. This includes the quintessential Irish bar O’Neills, which remains one of the city’s most high octane sports and one that offers a superb live viewing experience.
Not only are there plenty of big screens dotted around the venue, for example, but O’Neill’s also provides a superb drinks menu and a particularly impressive pint of Guinness.
There are also traditional and tasty dishes on the food menu, while extended opening hours allow you to take in several RWC23 matches on any given day (especially during the busy pool stage).
From experience, the atmosphere here is particularly lively during home nation matches, so I’d certainly recommend a visit when England or third-favourites (and world number one ranked side) Ireland are in action.
#3. The Lord Clifden, Great Hampton Street
The RWC23 news is coming thick and fast as the tournament draws closer, so now is the ideal time to start planning your meetups and preferred venues.
Another highly popular option is the Jewellery Quarter’s iconic Lord Clifden pub, as while it may be renowned for its urban art showcases, it’s also a versatile and dynamic venue that also welcomes sports fans from all over the city.
To this end, it has no fewer than six HD screens and a hearty all-day menu, so you can watch your chosen matches unfold in high definition while also eating and drinking to your heart’s content! You can even access bottomless tapas at the Lord Clifden, which I admit sounds more like a challenge than a menu option.
The site is also home to a large beer garden, so you can gather with your friends outside (weather permitting) and make the most of any sunshine that happens to come your way!