Where to watch the rugby in Clapham
Big screens on the High Street, the Common and the Old Town, plus where to book and where walk-ins are fine.
By Clapham London Editorial
Short version: book a table if the pub lets you, and if it does not, turn up well before kick-off. Saturday games come as an afternoon pair (2:10pm and 4:40pm in the Ruck fixture list), so tables tend to get held across both. That last part is common sense rather than a rule, so ask the pub.
Clapham High Street and the Common
The Railway, 18 Clapham High Street, SW4. Londonist says it shows every match and suggests booking a table and getting there “early doors”. It is a burger-led gastropub between Clapham North and Clapham High Street stations. Square Mile points to the cabins, which seat up to 15 and have their own TV, so this is the one for a big group who have planned ahead.
O’Neill’s, 196 Clapham High Street, SW4. The pub’s own rugby page says it shows the Six Nations on big screens, takes table bookings, and carries the games across TNT Sports, Sky Sports, BBC and ITV. A listing on Fanzo describes an 8K TV plus 11 other screens. Order a Guinness and find a sightline.
The Alexandra, 14 Clapham Common South Side, SW4. SLMan describes a proper local with a couple of big projectors and five screens, with pub snacks and pizzas. DesignMyNight says it is over 150 years old. It has been reported busy with rugby on Sky on Saturday afternoons, so do not stroll in at kick-off.
The Windmill on the Common, Clapham Common South Side, SW4. Young’s pub, on the Common itself. Its own live sports page lists the Six Nations and the Autumn Internationals on big screens. CAMRA calls it a landmark pub dating from 1665 where rugby is popular and teams from the neighbouring Common gather. CAMRA London lists it open 10:00 to 23:00 daily, with Young’s London Original and Special on the real ale list and a garden.
The Old Town
Old Town Tavern, 29 North Street, SW4. DesignMyNight lists Sky Sports, bookings and twenty taps, with two 100-inch projector screens and more TVs in the games room. Sotheby’s says it opened in the 1880s as The North Pole and has a basement games room with pool, darts and arcade machines. The food is described differently in different places, so check before you promise anyone dinner.
Abbeville Village and Balham Hill
The Abbeville, 67 to 69 Abbeville Road, SW4. One of the Three Cheers pubs, with a large screen in the bar and a 100-inch projector. London Unattached rates the haddock and chips as the star dish. Food service runs through the afternoon on Saturday (12 to 4pm), per Favourite Table, which helps if you are staying for both games.
The Avalon, 16 Balham Hill, SW12. Technically Balham, five minutes from the Common, per VisitLondon. Three Cheers lists two HD TVs and two giant projectors in the main bar and dining room, and the Blue Room upstairs can be hired for up to 22 people with its own projector. OpenTable puts the price band at £25 and under. Steaks, schnitzels and Sunday roasts are on the menu.
Towards the Junction (SW11)
The Junction, 36 St John’s Hill, SW11. Greene King says it shows every home-nations fixture and recommends booking. If a fixture cannot be booked, it is fully booked. Walk-ins are always accepted, but table space is limited.
How to play it
- Book wherever there is a booking system: the Railway, O’Neill’s, Old Town Tavern and the Junction all take them.
- Walk-ins are not always lost. Three Cheers has said seats in the Avalon-style club rooms are first come, first served after ticket holders, so go early.
- For a big group, look at the Railway cabins or the Avalon’s Blue Room.
- England games and Super Saturday style finishes are the ones to plan for first.
Fixtures and kick-off times are worth checking nearer the time, and ring the pub for its table policy on match days.
