The 2023 Rugby World Cup finally kicked off over the weekend and we’re once again delivering a public service by telling you where to watch it right here in Manchester.
England started the group stages off in style by beating Argentina 27-10 and two out of the three other home nations all won their first fixtures — Scotland couldn’t muster a strong enough showing against South Africa — in what turned out to be a thrilling opening round.
Although it’s always frustrating to see some of the international games taking place during work hours (we know you’ll be sneakily watching them anyway, don’t worry, we won’t tell), the tournament is running right up until 28 October, with plenty matches in the evening and on the weekends.
With that in mind, you should have plenty of opportunity to watch this year’s Rugby World Cup and here are some of the best places to do it.
10 best places to watch the Rugby World Cup in Manchester
In no particular order, here are just a handful of the places showing the 2023 Rugby World Cup in and around Manchester.
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1. Brickhouse Social – Oxford Road Corridor
We’ve picked 10 places where to watch this year’s Rugby World Cup. In at number one… (Credit: Brickhouse Social via Instagram)
First off, we’re starting with what is fast becoming one of our favourite places to watch live sport in Manchester city centre: Brickhouse Social over on New Wakefield Street. That specially designed sound system certainly adds to the atmosphere on a matchday.
Showing every single game across their three-floor venue, we’re talking uninterrupted coverage across seven mega screens alongside music, loads of free pool, as well as tonnes of late-night pizza slices and drinks. Sold. You can get booked in HERE.
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2. Escape to Freight Island – Mayfield
Credit: Escape to Freight Island
Next up is Escape to Freight Island, who are showing all the games scheduled on Fridays and Sundays on the huge HD screen in the sports bar section of the massive warehouse space. Tables are available to book right HERE.
With the mezzanine now kitted out with over 200 retro arcade games, pool tables and access to all 15 food vendors within this massive trading hall — we’re talking Burgerism, Lazy Tony’s, Voodoo Rays, Oh My Cheesecake and more — you won’t need to go anywhere else once you’ve settled in here.
Third on our list is an old faithful that simply can’t be ignored when it comes to the ‘where to watch’ guides, and it’s The Director’s Box just off St Peter’s Square in the middle of the city centre, who will be showing as many as Rugby World Cup games as they can this year.
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With an ever-solid food menu, plenty of beer and other booze to get stuck into, not to mention a pool table and screens all offer the gaff, you can never go wrong with this place. They’ve even got bottomless brunch on the go throughout the competition. Book online or over the phone on 0161 870 6283.
Probably one of the most underrated places to watch sport in Manchester, Pie and Ale always achieves the perfect blend of a sound but not too rowdy atmosphere, good service, plenty of booze and some of the best selections of homemade pies in the area.
They show everything from the footy, cricket and F1 to, yep, the rugby in here and, well, who doesn’t love a proper pie on matchday? You can call up to reserve your table on 0161 236 8334 or try your luck with a walk-in — it never gets crazy busy with fans in here (that’s why we love it), so you should be fine.
You know the drill with this place; Bierkeller and the attached Shooters Sports Bar inside the Printworks will always be a solid option when it comes to finding somewhere to watch the game and it’s no different for this particular tournament.
Big steins of beer, giant pretzels, live music and Bavarian oompah bands in Bierkeller; pool tables, arcade machines and massive tellies in Shooters. You can’t go wrong. Get you and your party booked in now to make sure you secure the best seats.
We might as well wander round the corner to another Printworks institution and chuck Walkabout on here while we’re at it — we’ve watched many a match in here, be it football, cricket, rugby or otherwise, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Always a good place for a boogie afterwards too.
The perfect place to go if you’re an Aussie or any international fan, for that matter, this place is all about celebrating the world of sport. Walk-ins are welcome, booking is nice and easy and you can even score yourself a free pint by simply signing up for the newsletter.
7. BOX – Deansgate
BOX on Deansgate is probably the biggest and busiest sports bar in Manchester at the moment and with TVs on virtually every wall — including a giant NBA-style jumbotron screen — massive pitchers of beer and porn star martinis, shuffleboard and seriously top scran, it’s no wonder.
You’ll be able to watch every try from this Manc weekend hotspot situated across the road from Spinningfields and just down from Lincoln Square. With live music and even more room upstairs, you should be able to squeeze in even when it gets busy. We’d still recommend booking though.
Like many other locations we’ve mentioned already, no list of Manchester sports bars is complete without the ever-reliable Brotherhood of Pastimes and Pursuits. Beer, darts, pool, table tennis, big screens and big portions. Say no more.
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Better still, with it being such a popular post-work spot already, we imagine this place will see plenty of faces piling in during the mid-day matches and bringing plenty of atmosphere both upstairs and down. Reserve your table now for England’s next game against Japan on Sunday.
The penultimate stop on our list of the best places showing the world’s biggest and most exciting rugby union competition is another NQ classic and a favourite of sports fans in Manchester, the one and only Tib St Tavern — i.e. one of the best and most beloved sports bars going.
Always packed to the rafters, we don’t need to wax lyrical about how good this place is; you’ll be able to tell that for yourselves when you’re trying to book and realise every Tom, Dick and Harry is trying to get in here as well. Book as early as you can on 0161 834 1600. You won’t be disappointed.
10. The Wishing Well – Didsbury
The last place on our list of places where to watch the rugby in Manchester (Credit: The Wishing Well via Instagram)
And, finally, we’re heading out of the city centre to one of Didsbury‘s newest and already popular additions, The Wishing Well. Popping up in the old Botanist site you might remember from ‘Dids Dozen‘ routes gone by, this modern country-style pub has lots of big TV screens to make sure locals don’t miss a second of the action.
Serving a freshly prepared menu alongside a fully stocked bar including a selection of cocktails, wine and plenty of beers, of course, this is the place to take a break from the bustle of town whilst enjoying the Rugby World Cup in the heart of the Didsbury Village. Sorted.
So, if you were still trying to figure out where to watch the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Manchester, that should do you for now.
You can see the full list of fixtures and kick-off times HERE and it goes without saying there are plenty more great places to catch the games all around Greater Manchester.
The summer might seem like it’s nearly over but, thankfully, sport has other ideas.
Featured Image — Walkabout/England Rugby/Escape to Freight Island (via Instagram)
Sport
Keely Hodgkinson is setting up her own running event next year as she prepares for a world record attempt
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester’s middle-distance running maverick, Keely Hodgkinson, has just been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year and we couldn’t be prouder, but she’s already eyeing up her next accolade: the 800m world record – and she’s hoping to do it at her own brand-new running event.
The Atherton-born athlete was one of Team GB’s shining lights at Paris 2024, storming ahead of the pack to win her first Olympic gold medal in just her second summer games but it’s been an unbelievable calendar year for her as a whole.
She already held the British women’s record before going on to not just defend her title but actually better her time at the European Athletics Championships back in June, with only five people in history having ever run it faster than her.
However, the Tyldesley-schooled track star believes she isn’t too far away from achieving another dream and one which would forever cement her amongst the sporting greats. She’s even creating the perfect opportunity for herself early in the new year.
Hodgkinson is launching an all-new running event of her own called the ‘Keely Klassic’, which is set to take place in Birmingham and will effectively serve as her first real attempt at smashing the 800m record.
Being registered as an official Bronze meeting on the World Athletics Indoor Tour, the day of racing will feature around nine heats involving top athletes, live music and entertainment, as well as celebrity appearances and more.
With the BBC themselves already in talks to broadcast the very first edition of what her teams hopes will be an annual event, it is rumoured to be an hour-long televised show and the headliner will be Keely’s attempt at breaking a 800m record – or two…
As well as aiming to smash Jolanda Ceplak’s all-time best (1:55.82) set on 15 Februrary 2002 – which just so happens to be the day Keely was born and when the Klassic will be taking place – she’s also going to try and surpass the outdoor record of 1:53.28 set by Czech runner Jarmila Kratochvilova back in 1983.
Speaking to the BBC after lifting the 2024 Sports Personality Award, the 22-year-old runner and Olympian said: “I’m pretty close [to the world record], I would like to think. I have seen this year what my body is capable of and I’m excited to push on.
“That world record is something I will always have in the back of my head. But I have so many years to get stronger so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”
She also said she has no fear in making her goals public as it only serves as motivation to push for them under the public eye, having done exactly the same in the lead-up to her first Olympics back in Tokyo.
Hodgkinson made a point of thanking her coach Trevor Painter on the stage after he name was revealed too, stating, “I wouldn’t be where I am without his guidance that I’ve had since I was 17.”
She only doubled down on her gratitude after the fact as well, adding: “I trust in Trevor and Jenny [Meadows] a lot. I know what shape I’m in before I step on the start line.
“[A world record break] all depends if it comes together and that can depend on many things in athletics”, she insists, but it’s clear that if she does manage to go and smash another feat – be that the indoor/outdoor record in 2025 or another time in the near future – their wisdom will no doubt play a part.
Is Marcus Rashford really gearing up to leave Manchester United in January?
Danny Jones
Marcus Rashford has been one of the best homegrown talents at Manchester United in recent years and a fan favourite ever since he broke onto the scene back in 2016, but things haven’t been going sosmoothly of late and it now looks like he could be leaving the club after nearly two decades.
Despite hitting the heights of 30 goals during the 2022/23 campaign, Rashford‘s output over the past couple of seasons has dipped and he has been known as more of a ‘purple-patch’ player throughout most of his time as a senior player at Old Trafford.
There is nothing United fans want more than to see the Wythenshawe winger rediscover his form and go on another one of those streaks as a fresh chapter begins under the new head coach, Rúben Amorim, but it looks as though Rashford could be gearing up to call it a day in the iconic red shirt.
Now 27 years old and entering what would be traditionally seen as his peak for most footballers, the number 10 told journalist Henry Winter that he is “ready for a new challenge”, which could very well signal a move away from Man United in the upcoming transfer window.
Having spent a day off with the veteran sports writer this week, the pair visited his old primary school Button Lane to hand out hundreds of Christmas presents, watching kids play on the football pitch he helped fund and once again tackle the issue of food poverty in Greater Manchester and beyond.
As Winter goes on to explain in his lengthy post on X, Rashford woke up to headlines speculating that his boyhood club have now put him “up for sale” and are reportedly willing to listen to offers in January.
Although the Manc footballer didn’t categorically outline a desire to leave, nor to stay necessarily, he did say that he feels “next steps” are due but that “when I leave it’s going to be no hard feelings. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.
“If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going to make it worse”, he continued. “I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person. When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me”, adding that he’ll always be a Red, “100%”.
So how likely is it that Rashford will leave the club in January? Well, being left out of the Manchester derby – a decision he made no bones about being disappointed over – clearly signals that Amorim wasn’t totally happy with his overall preparation but the Portuguese manager did respond in a shrewd manner:
Agreeing with the United star, who at one time was considered one of England’s hottest prospects and is still unplayable at times when operating at his very best, the 39-year-old was mindful not to respond defensively to his comments but turn them into what he hopes will be shared motivation.
It’s also worth noting that Rashford wasn’t the only one dropped from the derby-winning team: Alejandro Garnacho, undoubtedly one of the club’s most promising talents who already delivers game-changing performances as his teammate has done so many times, was also left out for one reason or another.
Amorim reiterated that each week can be a clean slate and that he intends to observe everything from how players train and eat to how they dress and carry themselves around Carrington, especially when it comes to “engaging with the [rest of the] squad”, so this seemingly wasn’t an effort target the two.
The 39-year-old also assured that his decision wasn’t a disciplinary issue in any way, as Rashford hasn’t been left out of matchday squads or at the very least benched by former boss, Erik ten Hag, for turning up late to a team meeting and a rogue night-out in Belfast.
All that being said, while it appears there is no personal issue with Rashford, another element that will no doubt factor into whether he decides to leave United will be his increasingly fractious relationship with sections of the fan base, having shared more “despicable” direct messages with Winter too.
Lastly, it’s also important to consider whether or not he is the right fit for Amorim’s unwavering 3-4-3 system that he is starting to implement on the current collection players.
Rashford has pace, skill, finishing ability and a great passing range, but his best position has always been cutting in off the flanks and unless he can nail down that spot as the left-sided number 10 (a position where there is already plenty of competition), the only other option is as a striker or a left wing-back.
Now, with lots of other attacking and creative midfielders in contention for those players sat just behind and on either side of the number nine, and two big-money forwards rotating up front, it will likely be a scrap every week to get in that starting XI.
Moreover, with Amad Diallo already showcasing exactly the kind of energy levels and persistent pressing that Amorim wants from his two 10s and his wing-backs, in particular – not to mention reaping the rewards for his efforts against Man City and in previous matches – it’s might be a case of can/will Rashford match that amount of running when asked.
Perhaps the better question is, do you think it’s time for Rashford to take on that new challenge away from Manchester United and do you expect to see him leaving in the January transfer window?
Danny Jones -
13th September 2023 
