The Recreation Ground sits in the middle of the city, which makes a match day here unlike most.
The Rec
Bath Rugby play at the Recreation Ground, a few minutes’ walk from the Abbey and right on the river. Very few top-flight grounds in any sport sit this centrally, and it changes the whole character of a match day: you can be in a pub in a Georgian street fifteen minutes before kick-off and still be in your seat on time.
Fixtures run through the season from autumn to late spring, with dates and kick-off times moved regularly for broadcast. Check the club’s fixture list close to the day rather than relying on a date you noted months ago.
Arrive early
The pubs around the Abbey and on the river fill from lunchtime on a match day. For a group, that means getting there first or booking.
Walk everywhere
The ground is central and parking near it is impractical. Park and ride, or come by train and walk.
Check the kick-off
Televised fixtures move. An evening kick-off changes your travel plans and your dinner booking.
Making a weekend of it
A match is an afternoon, not a weekend, which makes it a good anchor for a group trip rather than the whole of one. The rest of Bath is immediately to hand – the Baths, the Abbey, the galleries and the Skyline walk are all within a short distance of the ground.
For stag weekends, milestone birthdays and club trips the common pattern is a house outside the city, a taxi in for the match, and the evening back at the house. It avoids both the cost of central accommodation and the problem of keeping twenty people together in a city centre after a game.
Coming as a group?
Bath fills up fast around its big events. The houses nearby sleep fourteen to thirty-six, and every one has a hot tub.
Where do Bath Rugby play?
The Recreation Ground, in the centre of Bath by the river, a short walk from Bath Spa station and the Abbey.
Is there parking at the ground?
Not realistically. Use park and ride or the train; the ground’s central position is its charm and its parking problem.
Can we get tickets for a large group?
Group bookings are usually possible but need arranging in advance through the club, particularly for the bigger fixtures.
Where can a group of twenty stay?
Outside the city, in most cases. Houses within a short drive sleep from fourteen up to thirty-six, which no central hotel will do under one roof.