Rugby drink: WRU urged to sit with fans to see alcohol culture

The recent incidents at the Principality Stadium have prompted debate about whether fans should be allowed to drink alcohol in their seats

Principality Stadium bosses should sit with fans to see the drinking culture first hand, according to one MP.

The call follows reports during the Autumn Internationals of pitch invaders, a child being handed £20 after having beer spilled on him and a boy being vomited on.

Now Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan wants the WRU to make changes to what has been dubbed "the worlds biggest pub".

The WRU have been approached for comment.

Mr Brennan said there had been a gradual deterioration of the atmosphere during games, and that this was particularly the case in games where there was a late kick off.

Unlike in football, alcohol is available through the match and fans can drink in their seats.

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Mr Brennan accused WRU chief executive Steve Phillips and other top brass of burying their heads in the sand.

He said: "It has reached the stage where a lot of people are pretty inebriated during games.

"We have reports of people falling in games, being sick on children.

"I have witnessed this kind of behaviour myself and the reaction from the WRU top brass tends to be that this is isolated.

"But that is not enough. They need to look at the issue properly and look at the complaints."

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Mr Brennan accused them of being out of touch.

"They have their lunch and sit in their nice seats, but they are not really aware of what it is like for the normal fan," he said.

"Rugby has always had a reputation for being a family game but now a lot of people are saying they would rather take their children to the football because there is a friendlier atmosphere."

Mr Brennan urged bosses to go undercover.

He said: "They should stick a bobble hat on and sit well away from the committee box and do a bit of secret consumer shopping, to see what it is like for the ordinary fans.

"I would hope they would realise it is less of an isolated incident for fans than they claim.

"They need to come up with an action plan for the stadium."

Emma Jones was at the Wales/Australia game on Saturday with husband Martyn and seven-year-old son Tomos.

The 47-year-old wants alcohol banned from the stands during the game.

The Principality Stadium is within a stone's throw of Cardiff pubs

She dubbed her experience on the weekend "horrific".

Ms Jones said: "We were surrounded by people who were so drunk coming into the seats at the very start of the game, carrying loads of drinks, they were being spilt everywhere, people falling on top of each other, it was just a horrific experience and the language was appalling.

"We watch football, we're season ticket holders with Swansea, we watch Wales in the football at home and I have to say a football crowd now is much better than a rugby crowd."

She tried to shield Tomos from the behaviour around them.

"It's really sad that his memory won't be of the rugby, it will be of what he experienced around him," Ms Jones said.

"We went to the toilet, and it was like two o'clock in the morning in a nightclub.

"We pay a lot of money for tickets and I think now the crowd is largely there for the experience of drinking, it's not to watch the rugby, because people are up and down so much during the game."

She urged the WRU to listen to fans like her.

"They have to do something now," she said.

Emma Jones said her experience at the Wales/Australia game with son Tomos was "horrific"

"Ban the alcohol during the games. Have it in the concourses for people who want to drink, that's fine, you don't want to take away that experience from people, but don't have it during the games."

Earlier this week the Principality Stadium implored fans to enjoy the stadium responsibly.

A spokesman said: "It is policy for our staff to intervene if people are visibly intoxicated - this happens in three main areas: the turnstiles where people can be denied entry, at the point of sale if they try and buy alcohol and in the stadium bowl."

It said more than 275,000 people attended the Autumn internationals.

"The vast majority of fans enjoy themselves in a responsible and considerate way," the spokesman said.

"We are very proud of this stadium, it's regarded as one of the best by players and fans who come here from all over the world, and we implore anyone who visits this great stadium to enjoy themselves but do so responsibly and with respect for others."