- Stadium opens 1.15pm, kick-off 3.15pm.
- With additional Covid-19 entry checks in place, please arrive earlier than usual ahead of the match.
- STHs – upload your NHS COVID Pass to the Club (via an individual link which has already been emailed to you directly) to speed up your entry into the stadium.
- Please be patient and treat all staff and stewards with respect as they work to keep everyone safe.
- Oundle School CCF Band will join us in the Supporter Village and on the pitch at half-time.
- Drop your EcoCup in one of the marked bins to make a donation to Northampton Saints Foundation.
- Try Warner’s 0% Botanic Garden Spirits in the Rodber Bar and Supporter Village.
Saints return to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens this Sunday for the second home clash of the Heineken Champions Cup campaign as they welcome Ulster Rugby for Round 3 of the European tournament.
Ulster ran out 27-35 winners the last time the sides locked horns in Northampton, in last season’s Challenge Cup quarter-final, but after narrowly missing out when they tackled the Belfast side at the Kingspan Stadium in Round 2, Saints will be hoping to turn that result on its head this weekend.
COMING TO THE STADIUM
There are a few things you’ll need to be aware of before you arrive at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens....
1. COVID GUIDANCE
We ask all supporters to continue to help keep everyone within the stadium safe. The Government updated its rules for sports events with a capacity of more than 10,000 people from Wednesday 15 December.
The new legislation requires:
- Supporters aged 18 and over to be able to provide proof, via an NHS COVID Pass, of double vaccination, or a negative Covid-19 test (lateral flow or PCR) from within the previous 48 hours. The Club’s staff will be checking a significant proportion of supporters on their way into the stadium.
- All supporters aged over 11 to wear face coverings in all indoor areas of sports stadia, unless eating or drinking. This covers the toilets, concourses and stairwells inside the ground, as well as the Saints Store and Ticket Office – even if you have already had one or both jabs of a Covid-19 vaccine and a booster.
We recommend that all supporters arrive at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in plenty of time, without a bag if possible (to reduce time required to clear security checks), and in advance you:
- Save the digital NHS COVID Pass to your smartphone’s digital wallet and/or your email (you can also screenshot the pass and save it to your photos folder as additional measure), due to the high volume of fans that will be trying to access the NHS app on matchday.
- Alternatively, print a hard copy of your NHS COVID Pass and bring it with you to the Gardens on matchday.
Season Ticket Holders:
All Season Ticket Holders have already been emailed an individual link directly, which enables you to upload your NHS COVID Pass to the Club ahead of time.
This only takes a minute and will speed up your entry into the stadium on matchday, so please do take the time to upload your NHS COVID Pass before Sunday.
PLEASE NOTE: Even if you uploaded your NHS COVID Pass for the Saracens match earlier this month, you will need to repeat the process detailed above ahead of Sunday’s fixture against Ulster.
If you have any questions about this process, or have not received an email from us, please contact [email protected] quoting your membership number.
Additional information:
- Please treat all staff and stewards with respect as they work to keep everyone safe. Be patient, particularly when it comes to entering the ground and moving around the stadium, as once again we adjust to new protocols.
- Please note, the confirmation card you receive when having your vaccination WILL NOT be accepted as proof of your vaccination status. Lateral flow tests WILL NOT be available at the stadium for anyone who cannot provide evidence of vaccination status or a negative test.
- Full details of the Covid-19 protocol surrounding ‘Plan B’ and information on how to download your NHS Covid Pass, can be found HERE.
- If you are displaying any Covid-19 symptoms and/or are required to self-isolate, please DO NOT travel to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens. And if you feel unwell after arriving at the stadium, please return home immediately if you are able, or contact your nearest steward and you will then be directed to our medical team.
2. MATCH TICKETS
This Sunday's clash with Ulster is included within your 2021/22 Season Ticket package, Season Ticket Holders can present their Season Ticket cards at the turnstiles and head to their usual seats.
Tickets for the clash are on sale from £20 adult / £8 child* – if you haven’t already secured yours, CLICK HERE to purchase now in advance of the game. Please note; tickets prices rise by £3 per ticket if purchased on matchday.
Your match ticket must be downloaded prior to arriving at the stadium and either printed on A4 paper or viewable on your smartphone. Screenshots of your tickets are not accepted by the scanners on our turnstiles, so please make sure you have a print or digital copy ready when you arrive. Click here for a step-by-step guide of how to download your ticket(s).
The Ticket Office windows will be open from 11am on matchday until kick-off. Those that have not printed their tickets at home, or are not able to show their barcode on a mobile phone, will be able to have their matchday ticket printed at the Ticket Office for a £2.50 fee.
3. ARRIVE EARLY & EARN REWARD POINTS
Season Ticket Holders – scan in through the turnstiles at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens before 2.15pm on Sunday and we’ll give you an extra 20 Rewards points to spend in the Saints Rewards app!
PRE-MATCH
- The Saints Store is open from 11am on matchday until kick-off (3.15pm) and will reopen for 30 minutes after the full-time whistle. Once you have entered the ground, you will not be able to access the Store, so be sure to do all your shopping when you arrive or as you depart. Our Saints Store Kiosk (located inside the Supporter Village) will open at 1.15pm until 30 minutes after the full-time whistle.
- A small group from the Oundle School Combined Cadet Force Band will be playing a set in the Supporter Village before the match on Sunday; they will begin from 2.15pm so head along to listen before the action on the pitch gets underway.
- The Club requests that supporters refrain from standing at the side of the pitch to watch the warm-up to prevent congestion. Please watch the warm-up from your seat.
- As the teams run out onto the pitch, there will be a pyrotechnic display in front of the Carlsberg Stand – please be advised this may include a series of loud bangs/crackles.
CAR PARKING
- Car Parking (in Claret Car Park, NN5 5JT) will be available for £7.50 on the day via contactless payment upon arrival. Car parking tickets are not available to purchase in advance. Car Parks open at 12pm, with the stadium opening its gates at 1.15pm.
- Please also be aware that there will be no movement in the VIP Car Park from ten minutes before the full-time whistle for approximately 25 minutes. As usual, traffic management will be in place in Car Park D, Claret Car Park and on Edgar Mobbs Way.
- After the Car Parks close at 9pm on Sunday, there will be no access to any vehicle left in the Car Parks until Monday morning.
- Given that cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens sits in a residential area of the town, Saints strongly urge all supporters to use the Club’s car parks. Should they choose not to do so, supporters must park with due care and respect for the needs of local residents and businesses.
SMOKING
- cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is now a NO SMOKING stadium. Smoking and the use of e-cigarettes is not permitted anywhere in the stadium or Supporter Village pre, during or post-match.
- Supporters wishing to smoke will be allowed to exit the stadium during half-time to use one of the designated smoking areas outside Gates 1, 2, 3 and 4 – stewards will be on hand to direct you and will manage exit and re-entry into the stadium.
AROUND THE GROUND
- You can head to the Family Zone ahead of the match to have a go at Saints’ passing challenge and see our face painters!
- Club of the Match, Long Buckby RFC, will be in the Village before the game for a shirt presentation as well as forming the Guard of Honour as the teams run out.
- A wide selection of bars and food stalls will be open within the Village and stadium throughout matchday, including the Real Ale and Warner’s Gin bars in the Supporter Village. Please be aware that cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is now a cashless stadium; all bars and food outlets will only accept card payments.
- Supporters will be able to try Warner’s 0% Botanic Garden Spirits in the Rodber Bar and the Village. Saints’ Official Gin Supplier, Warner’s Distillery, continue to support Dry January by sponsoring the 0-0 scoreline. Exclusive bundles filled with 0% spirits – plus the odd bottle of Saints-branded gin – are on offer for anybody who correctly guesses the minute that the first points of the game are scored. To guess, visit the Warner’s Gin Instagram page HERE.
- We'll also be joined by Help For Heroes, who will be bucket shaking around on Sunday – please give generously!
- Don’t forget, you can drop your EcoCup in one of the Northampton Saints Foundation’s branded bins around the ground – the Foundation will receive a donation for every cup deposited, with funds raised supporting life-changing programmes for children across the county. To see where you can donate your cups, please CLICK HERE.
POST-MATCH
- The Club requests that supporters refrain from congregating around the tunnel after the game, there will be a red zone in operation around the tunnel for this match and stewards will be moving people along from this area.
- Both the Saints Store and Saints Store Kiosk (in the Supporter Village) will remain open until approximately 30 minutes after the full-time whistle, so you can grab a bargain on your way out!
- Oundle School CCF Band will be back in the Supporter Village performing for half an hour after the match – so stick around to hear some tunes before you head off.
- There will be a staggered bar closure around the stadium, ending in the Rodber Bar at approximately 6pm.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION HUB
- Our Diversity & Inclusion Hub is located in the Supporter Village, and this Sunday you can pop along to the Marquee to hear about the Club’s activities this month – including getting signed up to Shred7s, our brand-new fitness and weight-loss programme launching in January.
- You’ll also be able to find out about everything the Club is doing around accessibility and inclusion on matchdays, as well as how you can borrow one of our new sensory bags or collect an accessibility passport from our team.
- You can find more information on the Hub as well as links to useful support organisations HERE. Or to get more information on Inclusion at Northampton Saints, please email [email protected].
* All ticket prices are subject to a £1.50 booking fee.
