Rugby Club Issue 59 | Page 17

Old Isleworthians The Royal Oak is a hidden gem on the Isleworth side of Twickenham Stadium and the closest pub to the North Stand. Simon Mead took the time to tell us more about what they offer and their positive association with Old Isleworthians. The Royal Oak He told us, “We took over the Royal Oak Pub and Dining House in Isleworth in July 2014. It was very run down but after a complete refurbishment and extension to the dining area we reopened in October 2014. We are pleased to offer relaxed dining, drinking and function space for local residents and businesses as well as the perfect spot for a drink before Rugby at Twickenham.” Success “We believe the secret of a great pub is to satisfy your customers wants, needs and desires and we have filled a gap in the local market by providing the perfect spot for quick a drink at the bar or a leisurely night out with friends and family. We pride ourselves on offering freshly prepared meals which can be enjoyed anywhere in the bar, on the terrace beside the river or in our lovely 60 seater dining room at the back of the pub. We also have regular live music nights and a quiz every Sunday at 8pm.” Rugby “It is all about Rugby on match days and we are pleased to offer a full selection of drinks from our main bar served in glass not plastic. We also have an outside bar and BBQ on the riverside terrace, and a Rugby day menu or set menu options in the dining room on big match days. We have six Screens to watch games before, during or after the main match and live music in the bar after most games at Twickenham.” Old Isleworthians “We first started sponsoring OIFC about 5 years ago when we were running another local pub. We are a Rugby loving family as my wife, Adrianne is from NZ and I played Rugby in my youth. Our son is also a keen rugby player and has played since he was 5 so sponsoring a local rugby team was the perfect fit for us. As well as sponsoring the team I am proud to now be a Lifetime member of the club.” Involvement “We first met some of the OIFC team when we took over a pub in the area about 8 years ago. After a couple of seasons of drinking in the pub and getting to know the team we were pleased to offer our support as Sponsors of the rugby team and have be proud supporters ever since. I have been going along to games since we become sponsors but since our son started playing for the second team in the 2014/15 season I try to get along to most home games and some away games as well. I also joined the team on their end of season trip which was an extremely good weekend, from what I can remember!” Association “We have close ties with many community groups and find this to be a real benefit to the business. As a rugby pub, sponsoring a local team is a perfect fit for us and the team support us as well with many a good night down here after club matches. The team also had a great time mixing with fans from all over the world during the RWC and it was a fabulous night here celebrating the All Blacks win in the final. We look forward to a long relationship with OIFC and will continue to support the team as a family, both as Sponsor, Lifetime member and player. The club is currently organising a 60th Anniversary Tour of Canada and we are looking forward to supporting them with this tour and indeed to joining them on what I am sure will be a fabulous trip for the club members and players.” www.sportip.biz 17