Stoop Memorial Ground
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| Full name | Twickenham Stoop Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location |
Twickenham, London United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°27′1″N 0°20′39″W / 51.45028°N 0.34417°WCoordinates: 51°27′1″N 0°20′39″W / 51.45028°N 0.34417°W |
| Public transit |
 Twickenham
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| Capacity | 14,800 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1963 |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Tenants | |
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Harlequins (Aviva Premiership) (1963–present) London Broncos (Super League) (1997–1999, 2006–2013) London Scottish (Allied Dunbar Premiership) (1998-1999) London Irish(Allied Dunbar Premiership) (1999-2000) |
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Twickenham Stoop Stadium (informally referred to as The Stoop) is a sports stadium located in south-west London, England. The stadium is home to Harlequins rugby union team, who play in the Aviva Premiership. The stadium has a capacity of 14,800 and is situated just across the road from Twickenham Stadium.
In 1906, Harlequins were invited by the Rugby Football Union to use the new national stadium in Twickenham. In those early days, only one or two internationals were played there during the season, and it wasn't long before the RFU ground became the headquarters of the Harlequin Football Club.
In 1963, the Quins acquired an athletics ground with 14 acres (57,000 m²) just across the road from the RFU ground, which became the Harlequin training pitch. The ground was named the Stoop Memorial Ground after Adrian Stoop, a former England international and longtime Harlequins player and president but is generally known as "The Stoop" with even the Harlequins' official website frequently using the informal name.
The main stand is the IG Stand (West Stand). This stand has the changing rooms, a row of executive boxes across the top of the stand, a Members' Bar, the club's offices, toilets and a club shop. At the top of the stand under the roof there is also a scoreboard and a gantry where the television cameras populate. The stand was built for the start of the 2005–06 season and has a capacity of approximately 4,000.
The North Stand is a temporary structure with an estimated life of 10 years. It houses approximately 2,000 and is the only stand with supporting pillars. There is a time clock to the top left of the stand. If further expansion is going to happen then the speculation is that the North Stand would be the one to be redeveloped. There is a concern about Langhorn Drive which runs directly behind it and if it needs to be moved before expansion could take place.
The corner of the North and IG Stand has a memorial for Nick Duncombe who was a promising scrum half for Harlequins and won two caps for England. He also played for the England Sevens team in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. He died of meningitis in 2003.
The DHL Stand (East Stand) has a capacity of approximately 4,000 and has a row of corporate boxes across the top. A score board also hangs under the roof. The stand has toilets, the main public bar, Debenture Lounge and Players' Lounge which also house the Mighty Quins Village which is an area for children which consists of bouncy castle and face painting. The main public bar also has a stage where a live band performs after the match.
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