With very strong winds forecast on Sunday afternoon when Northampton Saints welcome Munster to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, the Club have had to take down the stretch tent usually found in the Supporter Village.
A sell-out crowd will be present for the Investec Champions Cup clash, but with gusts forecasted to exceed 45mph, Saints’ operations team have acted quickly to ensure the safety of all supporters present.
“The health and safety of our supporters and staff is always our number one priority,” said Kristy Coates, Head of Operations at Northampton Saints.
“As was the case earlier this season when we played Sale Sharks, the tent’s guidelines for safe use preclude us from using it as normal with such strong winds expected in Northampton on Sunday.
“However, while the wind is due to be very strong, the chance of wet weather on Sunday morning looks to be low, so we hope anyone visiting cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens can still enjoy using the Supporter Village before the match.
“All the usual chairs and tables will remain in place inside the Village, and all food and drinks units will be open as normal. Supporters should note that the Inclusion Hub is closed to the public for this weekend.
“Other elements of our usual matchday experience, such as the use of pyros as the teams enter the field, will be assessed on the day. Our pre-match musical entertainment (Hannah Faulkner) will be moved to the Rodber Bar – please note, some of our indoor spaces such as the Rodber and Members Bars may be busier than normal.
“We also ask that supporters attending tomorrow’s match do not bring large flags (no bigger than 2m x 1m in size) into the stadium – with the high winds, these may be confiscated on arrival.
“We look forward to welcoming more than 15,000 supporters safely through our gates on Sunday for a sold-out match, and I hope those in attendance will understand the decision to remove the tent was made with safety front of mind.”
For more information on everything else happening around cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on matchday, please check out our Guide to the Gardens HERE.
