The following info has been prepared ahead of the Jersey v
Cornish Pirates game this weekend. It's primarily aimed at visiting
supporters who may not know the ropes regarding how things run on a
match-day at St Peter. But there's no reason Jersey supporters
can't take a look too. Please note the revised arrangements for car
parking this season - watch out for full details HERE
Jersey v Cornish Pirates
Saturday 16th November, K-O 3pm
Dear Pirates Supporters
All at Jersey RFC are looking forward to welcoming you to Jersey
for our game in the Greene King IPA Championship. To help your trip
go as smoothly as possible, here is some info to assist you. We
hope your visit to JRFC will be part of a really enjoyable
weekend.
FRIDAY NIGHT
The club will be open on Friday evening before the game. This is
a regular thing now, although we hadn't got it organised in time
for the first game of 2012/13. A good chance to meet some 'native'
supporters, engage in some pre-match banter, have a 'recce' of the
ground, visit the club shop and pick up your tickets for the game
the next day. The Barclays Pavilion will be open between 5.30 and
7.30pm, the Liberation Ale will be tapped and Sean the Club Manager
will be providing free nibbles.
PRE-MATCH ON SATURDAY
There is a pre-match lunch on the day for members, sponsors and
corporate guests in the Clubhouse. Pirate representatives have been
invited through the official channels; beyond this, the Clubhouse
lunch is sold out, and as a result, the Clubhouse is only available
prior to the game to the 200 lunch guests. At the time of writing
there were tables remaining in the marquee, contact Sean Dunne by email or 01534 499929 if you
are interested.
The Pavilion Bar adjacent to the Clubhouse will be open to all
supporters from 12noon, offering full bar, including locally-brewed
Liberation Ale on handpump, plus food such as 'special of the day',
'posh dogs', pasties, burgers etc. It gets pretty busy in the hour
leading up to kick-off. Other mobile units around the ground will
also be serving food and drink, including the almost legendary Pork
van and a new outlet concentrating on traditional Jersey produce
such as bean crock, Jersey wonders and local cider.
There are various other 'off-site' options, the first of which is
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. Another 150 yards away you can indulge
your inner plane spotter at the Jersey Aero Club, overlooking the
runway.
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 some fans about the Star, and there's a betting shop next
door. General de Gaulle had a swift half in the St Peter's in 1940
en route to an important meeting with Winston Churchill in London.
Or there's the Mermaid opposite the airport and adjacent to the
Lakeside Manor Care Home (5 minutes walk from the Club).
Other pre-match 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 should work fine.
THE MATCH
For the match itself Ground Admission is £15, or £5 for full-time
students with suitable ID. Under 17s are free, proof-of-age is
required. Sorry, but there's no senior citizen concession. It's a
good idea to arrive at least 30-40 minutes before the off. Our
small stand is fully subscribed, with the exception of seats for
the invited officials as above. For those with particularly severe
mobility issues, JRFC 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.
While the game won't sell out (the ground capacity is approx
5,000) visiting supporters can purchase tickets in advance to avoid
match-day queues. Tickets can be obtained on Friday at the club, or
match-day sales commence at 12noon
There's not a great deal of space under cover (standing or
seating) at St Peter, so it's wise to have warm/ waterproof gear in
case of inclement weather, and some sensible footwear. To check the
weather, we'd recommend Jersey Met Office, www.jerseymet.gov.je - their five-day forecast
is published daily at 9am.
MATCH PROGRAMME
Did anyone buy a programme when they came to Jersey last year?
Rubbish, wasn't it?! We're pleased to say that our programme has
had a total revamp. Please give it a second chance - we think
you'll like it! - Here's a front cover pic from one earlier in the
season.
POST-MATCH
In recent seasons we have had difficulty accommodating everyone in
the Clubhouse after the match. Therefore access will once again be
limited to players, officials, JRFC members and anyone in possesion
of a wrist-band. Ideally, we do not want to exclude anyone from the
clubhouse and, as soon as we are below our fire limit, we will let
all supporters in, typically at around 6pm. The Pavilion bar and
outlets around the ground will stay open for all supporters until
well after the clubhouse is opened to all. Normally things start to
wind down between 7pm and 8pm, when people head for 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.libertybus.je .
If you have a car, there is free parking available close to the
ground, but traffic can be busy so please allow lots of time.
NEWS ABOUT THE GAME
The Jersey Evening Post will have a match preview on
Friday (on sale from 12.30pm) while Saturday's edition (on sale
from 7am) will have the four-page 'Inside Centre' rugby pull-out. A
full preview will be posted on Jersey's website www.jrfc.je on Thursday, with team news on Friday
at 12noon and the latest news is on Twitter - twitter.com/jerseyrfc or Facebook.
MOBILE PHONES
We've had feedback from some visiting supporters who have received
large phone bills on their return from the Island because the
small-print on their tariffs didn't include Jersey, leading to
higher call/ roaming/ data charges. If you're in doubt about this,
it might be a good idea to check out your phone contract in
advance, or use the phone sparingly.
Finally, we hope you have an enjoyable trip to Jersey and look
forward to your company.
Jersey RFC
November 2013
