News in Richmond

Harlequins travelled to local rivals Saracens on a wet and windy November afternoon this Sunday in a battle of second and fourth in the table.

With a much-depleted side following a run of injuries and international call-ups, Quins found themselves on the wrong side of the final whistle.

Richmond gymnasts start 2022 representing Great Britain!

Richmond's gymnasts are once again representing Great Britain at the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships, following on from their success and a bronze medal at the European Championships last year.

A tough start for Harlequins saw the visitors make the most of a deleted home team, with Sale wing Tom Roebuck claiming a brace of scores within the first 22 minutes.

With fly-half AJ MacGinty kicking both conversions and an earlier shot at the posts, Quins found themselves leaking penalties and handling errors whilst staring down a 17-0 deficit.

Harlequins travelled to The Rec looking to extend a seven-match winning streak across all competitions, most recently claiming back-to-back dramatic victories in the Heineken Champions Cup having secured home advantage later in the playoffs.

However, it would be a Bath side with nothing to lose that reversed Quins' fortunes, with a dramatic late win more often than not the running order for the Londoners, not their opponents.

Hosting the side third in the Top14 table following a gritty away victory in South France earlier this season, Harlequins looked to solidify their spot at the top of Pool B.

The evening could hardly have started worse for the home side, with Castres catching Quins napping early, scoring a penalty within the first 60 seconds before following up with two tries within the first 10 minutes to claim 13 unanswered points. Fortunately for Quins, Castres fly-half Ben Botica missed both conversion attempts.

Off to a fast start Quins probed early at the Cardiff Arms Park, with Smith finding some early luck stepping inside and accelerating through the Cardiff defence.

Early pressure eventually broke the hosts' defence, with wing Louis Lynagh on the receiving end of a well-weighted cross-field kick from Smith. With work to be done after the catch, Lynagh stepped out to in to evade the defender's attention before accelerating and diving over the line. Smith added the conversion to make Lynagh's score worth the full seven.

Harlequins Women made it four wins from four in the Allianz Premier 15s following a comprehensive 29-5 win over Wasps Women at Twickenham Stadium.

It was a scrappy open to the match, with Wasps threatening to score. However, a titanic defensive effort from the hosts repelled their local rivals time and time again.

Over 72,000 tickets were issued for Big Game 13 as supporters were treated to a day packed full of entertainment inside and outside the stadium, with DJ Pete Tong performing between the Women's and Men's games, a spectacular lightshow, fairground attractions and much more on show!

Determined to put the dampener in Quins big day Saints struck first at HQ, rumbling towards the line and sending South African number eight Juarno Augustus over the line from short range. Saints fly-half Dan Biggar added the conversion to give the visitors a perfect start.

Big Game 13 at Twickenham on Monday, December 27, featuring both the men's and women's Harlequins teams, is expected to avoid a last minute ban on fans.

A crowd of approaching 80,000 is expected for what is the biggest club game in the sport, which is worth millions in ticket sales, food, drink and merchandise.

Harlequins travelled to the home of Castres in the South of France for 2021/22 season's first round of Heineken Champions Cup action.

With the home side riding high following a big win against French giants Racing 92 in the Top14 the previous weekend, Quins faced a side with momentum at the backs.