Premiership Rugby has been assured that security at Twickenham is “all over” any potential repeat of last year’s protests when Northampton and Bath meet in Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final.
Two Just Stop Oil activists caused a significant delay to the 2023 showpiece when they gained access to the pitch and threw orange powder paint, before being intercepted by stewards and Sale flanker Tom Curry.
Undercover rapid response agents will be positioned in the stands as a preventative measure for Saturday’s showdown, which will be watched by an 82,000 full house.
Premiership Rugby’s chief growth officer Rob Calder insists the Rugby Football Union has made the security arrangements needed to prevent any disturbances.
“Last year was regrettable. We don’t want to encourage that and we were in close conversation with the RFU well in advance of this week,” Calder said.
“I just came off an operational call. The RFU are clearly responsible for anything that happens of that nature so they are all over it. Fingers crossed there won’t be anything like that again.
“RFU security are dealing with that. They are very aware of the threat of something like that.”
Twickenham will host the Premiership final for the next four years and there appears to be no appetite to change venue, which has hosted the fixture ever since its inception in 2003.
Calder had been open to staging the event at another ground but after a successful season that has seen an increase in ticketing, broadcast figures and match attendance by children the status quo seems preferable.
“I have been quite keen on moving it historically but as a Scot this is probably easier for me to say,” he said.
“Over the last six months the support and commitment we have seen from the RFU to help us build towards consistent sell-outs, and the plans we put in place, I am really encouraged by. The RFU want it at Twickenham and the game wants it at Twickenham.
“Sell outs are contagious, we must not rest on our laurels this week and think that this is job done, we have got to think about next year, catching that interest and pushing it on to 2025.”
