The Mighty Pie and its Noble Sport

From the epic London double-header at Twickenham, to sevens at The Stoop, and a Nottingham pre-season to support my lovely friend Kieran Hallett, the past few weeks have been fairly rugby-centric and this particular situation is something I truly relish.

All of this rugby got me to thinking about the ultimate culinary triumph that we may associate with the mighty game… My mind flittered past chips, positively skipped over burgers and hardly glanced at hot dogs, before reaching the mighty pie in all its meaty glory.

Beef, chicken, pork, mushroom – whatever your preference, the pie is a highly satisfying yet conveniently cased meal choice for the rugby spectator. And there is something rather special about a pie and the rugby; just look at the starring role said pie has in the current O2 'Wake up call from England' ad for the Rugby World Cup below (genius!)

This heavenly pairing also transcends the geographical boundaries of the UK and Ireland to the antipodean shores of Australia and New Zealand. Here the notion of ‘a meat pie at the footy’ dominates rugby stadiums in both nations, so much so that they still argue over whose tradition it is!

Let’s face it people, rugby just isn’t rugby without the mighty pie! So whoever you are supporting this Rugby World Cup, be sure to treat yourself to a pie (no matter the hour!)