Try, Try and Try again - your murrayfield stadium and autumn rugby internationals 2018 guide

What's the Fuss all about then?

This isn’t just a game – this is serious stuff. There’s a deep history that involves much, much, more than the 15 players on the pitch. Scotland’s national rugby team ignites patriotic passions that know no equal. Currently ranked 6th in the world and with some impressive scalps already under their belt this year, a seat to watch Scotland at the Autumn Rugby Internationals  is the hottest ticket in town. With these matches counting towards World Rugby ranking, the fans will be out in force to urge their heroes on to even greater things. Next year’s World Cup in Japan will be truly unique in many respects and just qualifying to compete there won’t satisfy the legions for whom Scottish rugby success is the very definition of Scottish pride.

Murrayfield stadium

Image credit to www.ruck.co.uk
Murrayfield Stadium is the home of Scottish Rugby and is not only the largest stadium in Scotland but one of the largest in the U.K. with a capacity of 67,000. The singing of the national anthem has been supplanted by the patriotic harmony of “The Flower of Scotland” and the refrain “O flower of Scotland, when will we see your like again?” commemorating the history of Caledonian resistance against the English, stirs up the crowd into the famous ‘Murrayfield Roar’. It’s an unforgettable experience – you get the tingly feeling that the entire nation is standing and roaring as one.

What are the Autumn Rugby Internationals?

2018 has scheduled end of year rugby tests which are also called the Autumn Internationals. During the autumn months of October, November and December, mostly involving countries from the Northern Hemisphere hosting those from the Southern Hemisphere, there will be a number of Rugby Union test matches in the Scottish capital. Murrayfield will be hosting matches on three consecutive weekends in November: Scotland's opponents will be Fiji (10 Nov) kick off 2:30pm, South Africa (17 Nov) kick off 5:20pm and Argentina (24 Nov) kick off 2:30pm.

Can I get Tickets?

The Scottish rugby union has allocated a large number of seats for sale to the general public and it’s a huge stadium, so it is possible to purchase tickets without having to be a member of a rugby club or an affiliated organisation. A few tickets are still available for the Fiji and Argentina matches on the Scottish online ticket centre website, but the tickets for the match against South Africa were sold out shortly after going on sale in July.

Still Desperate for A Ticket?

If you’ve had no luck through the normal channels, then check out some of the online ticket exchanges. There are four major online ticket exchanges that operate in the UK and they are: Seatwave.com, GetMeIn.com, StubHub.co.uk  and Viagogo.co.uk. All four online ticket exchanges sell tickets to the Autumn International rugby matches, and they all guarantee that the tickets will be genuine. That being said, while they are more legitimate than looking for a tout in the car park outside the stadium, you might end up paying a heavy premium.

How Much Will They Cost?

Where your seats are, dictates the cost of the ticket. Murrayfield ticketing seating plan separates tickets into 4 categories – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, depending on how close to the action you want to be and range from £38 for a Platinum ticket to £16 for one in the Bronze section for the Fiji match. The Fijians are big lads and you’ll still see them even if you are up “in the gods!” Should you be feeling particularly flush and your generosity is virtually boundless, you and some friends might fancy a private box for a little under £7000.

Where to Stay

Of course, there’s quite a few hotels near Murrayfield, but your “must have” list will already have excluded the overly expensive and the geographically impossible. Haymarket Hub Hotel is a no-compromise on comforts and amenities, with prices that give you more excuses to pay a little more for a better ticket. Best of all, it’s in walking distance from the stadium, so no car parking woes or public transportation squashing. Of course, if you want to hop on a tram, there’s one that goes from just outside the hotel every 10 minutes and will get you to the stadium station in 8 minutes.