Matchday at Aldwinians RUFC is about more than what happens between the first and final whistle. It is about arriving early, catching up with friends, bringing the family along, enjoying some good food and making the most of your time at the club. This season, we are putting even more into the matchday experience with pre-match meals at Aldwinians, giving players, members, supporters and visitors the chance to sit down together before the rugby gets underway.

Pre-Match Meals

On selected matchdays, our clubhouse will be serving a pre-match meal ahead of the afternoon's fixtures. Whether you're coming to support the team, watching a family member play or simply looking for somewhere to spend your Saturday afternoon, the pre-match meal is a great way to start your visit to Aldwinians. The menus will vary throughout the season, with details announced ahead of each matchday. From traditional matchday favourites to something a little different, there will be plenty to look forward to. The aim is to make it easy to arrive early, grab a seat, enjoy some food and then head outside to support the rugby. Pre-match meals will be available on selected dates and, where required, advance booking will be essential so that our kitchen team can prepare accordingly.

Making Matchday a Club Experience

The introduction of pre-match meals is part of our wider ambition to make Aldwinians a place where people want to spend more time. Rugby remains at the heart of everything we do, but the clubhouse plays an important role too. For some, matchday will start with breakfast or lunch before watching the rugby. For others, it might be meeting friends for a drink, bringing the children along or staying around after the final whistle. The important thing is that there is something for everyone. We want to create more occasions where our members and wider community can come together, enjoy the club and make memories away from the pitch as well as on it. And this season, there will be another reason to arrive early.

An Audience With...

As part of our matchday programme, we will also be introducing “An Audience With...”. This feature will change regularly, with a different guest invited to Aldwinians to share their experiences, memories and stories from rugby and beyond. Each guest will bring something different to the table. Former players, coaches, rugby personalities and people with a special connection to the game will all have the opportunity to take part. The format is simple: good food, good conversation and an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

An Audience With Andy MacFarlane

One of our featured guests is Andrew “Andy” MacFarlane, who has an impressive record in representative rugby.

Andy made 28 appearances for North Rugby, earning RFU North Cap No. 726.

His career included two North Rugby tours, travelling to Zimbabwe and later Namibia and South Africa.

However, perhaps his most notable representative moment came on 19 October 1988, when Andy captained the North against Australia at Otley.

The North produced an outstanding result that day, defeating the touring Australians 15–9.

For Andy, it was a remarkable achievement — captaining a representative side against an international touring team and coming away with a memorable victory.

There is plenty behind those statistics, though.

What was it like preparing to face Australia?

What was the atmosphere like before the game?

Who were the characters in the North dressing room?

And what was life really like on those tours to Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa?

Those are the stories that “An Audience With...” is designed to uncover.

There will also be an opportunity for the audience to put their own questions to Andy, making the evening as much about the conversation as it is about the guest.

Andy's appearance is just one example of what the feature will bring to Aldwinians, with different guests and different stories to follow throughout the season.

Whether you're coming for the rugby, the food, the company or the chance to hear some great rugby stories, we'd love to see you at Aldwinians. Pre-match meals and “An Audience With...” will run on selected matchdays, with full details announced for each event.

Book via the link below to secure your place.

Come early. Eat well. Watch the rugby. Stay a while.

Aldwinians RUFC — more than a rugby club.