High Vis Heroes
Twickenham’s Autumn Nations Series is being enjoyed by the fans thanks to no fewer than 400 honorary stewards who make sure that everyone’s safe and having fun.
Some come from the local area, others travel from across the nation, and some even fly in from abroad. Some have been involved for decades, others have just joined, but they all have one thing in common: a passion for rugby.
They are Twickenham’s honorary stewards, unpaid volunteers on match days who make sure that thousands of fans have a safe and enjoyable day watching rugby.
All stewards have a foundation Level 2 qualification in spectator safety, and all managers and supervisors are qualified to Level 3 Spectator Safety NVQ. These qualifications may well serve them in other areas of their working or volunteering lives.
Being part of the Twickenham team has enhanced my life
Mike Collen has been involved at Twickenham in a variety of honorary capacities for over 20 years: “Initially, I heard about the honorary role from an acquaintance at Farnborough Rugby Club where I was involved with the junior section. I was very impressed with the commitment of those colleagues who came from a variety of professions and travel some very long distances.
“Even today, some will have come from Ireland, Jersey, and Northern England. Why? Because we all enjoy being part of the event team. We all love rugby and feel we can offer something back to the sport that we love. The guests at Twickenham are great and we do our very best to ensure they have a memorable experience.”
The role is unpaid, but full training is given to ensure that the stewarding is of the highest quality.
“Being part of the Twickenham team has enhanced my life,” continues Mike. “I’ve had the pleasure of being at some of the greatest games and I’ve also met some great people.”
“I have benefitted from spectator safety training which has been interesting and helped me with other voluntary roles. We really welcome like-minded people to join our team. Ask any of the honorary stewards and just ask how you can join.”
Lucky to see world-class rugby
Anne Jackson became an honorary steward after a work colleague mentioned that he was involved in the stewarding of a music event at Twickenham. A short time after completing the necessary paperwork, Anne became a steward and still volunteers ten years later.
“I completed the forms and attended a training event on the morning of the first Autumn International of 2012. I was then put with an experienced steward for the match. Having stewarded a few different areas over the course of a few games, I was allocated to L20 with another new steward who I had done my training with.
“I've been volunteering in sport for nearly 30 years and getting involved at the stadium was another string to my bow and I got to watch rugby! I was lucky to be able to see world-class rugby at its pinnacle when the 2015 Rugby World Cup came around.”
And it’s not all work and no play, there are social events when the stewards turn up in style without their high vis jackets to simply have a great night out together.
If you are interested in becoming an honorary steward here at Twickenham, please get in touch via honorarystewards@rfu.com
