The event is notable for holding the current record for the highest ever attendance for a Premiership Rugby match, under its previous branding of 'Derby Day'. This record was set during the match between Saracens and Harlequins at Wembley on 28 March 2015, which had a live gate of 84,068 people – then a world record for a domestic club rugby union match, until this was broken by the 2016 Top 14 final.[4] In addition, under its current branding of 'The Showdown', the fixture also holds the record as the most-watched Premiership game in the competition's 26-year history. This record was set during the match between Saracens and Harlequins on 25 March 2023, which attracted a combined peak television audience of 1.516 million people, accounting for 7.1 per cent share of all British TV viewers at that time. The figure surpassed the previous record, which had been set during the 2022 Premiership final, by 200,000 viewers.[5]
The event then moved to a once-a-year schedule, before being formally branded as 'Derby Day' in 2012, with local rivals Harlequins as the regular opponents. Between 2012 and 2015, this fixture broke the world record for a club rugby attendance on three occasions.[10] After eight years at Wembley Stadium, Derby Day switched over to the London Stadium – the home of Premier League football club West Ham – in 2018 and 2019.[11]
In 2019, Saracens announced an initial five-year stadium partnership with Tottenham Hotspur to host annual fixtures, under the new banner of 'The Showdown', at the Premier League club's ground.[12] The opening installment of this collaboration was originally due to occur March 2020 – however, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of the 2019–20 season before this date.[13] As a consequence, when the league resumed, games were played behind closed doors over the next six months.[14] Once full-capacity crowds were allowed to return to stadia at the start of the 2021–22 season, Saracens finally held their first game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March 2022, against Bristol Bears.[15] Thereafter, the fixture reverted to the usual rivalry match-up with Harlequins from 2023 onwards.[16]
Results summary
The following table outlines the results of each showpiece match hosted by Saracens in Premiership Rugby, with the winner listed in bold:
Saracens held their first ever standalone showpiece match at Wembley Stadium in September 2009, defeating Northampton Saints by a score of 19–16. With a crowd of almost 45,000, the club also smashed its record attendance for a home game, with the next best figure recorded as 19,000, which was set during a league match at Vicarage Road in 1998.[18]
After setting a club attendance record in their inaugural appearance at Wembley Stadium, Saracens announced that they would stage two additional home fixtures at the ground during the 2009–10 season.[19] In the first of these two extra games at Wembley, they beat Worcester Warriors by a score of 25–20.[20]
For the club's third and final visit to Wembley Stadium in the 2009–10 season, Saracens faced rivals Harlequins for the first time, establishing the basis for the showpiece fixture's future identity as 'Derby Day' and 'The Showdown'. Saracens were victorious, with the final score of 37–18.[21]
Saracens and Harlequins contested the first incarnation of Derby Day at Wembley Stadium in March 2012, with the visitors emerging as the winners by 24–19 – the first and, to date, only away victory in this showpiece fixture.[24] The match-day gate of 83,761 set a new world record for a rugby union club match, which was previously held by the 2009–10 Heineken Cup quarter-final match between Leinster and Munster at Croke Park.[25]
Beginning in the 2013–14 season, Saracens moved Derby Day to a consistent time slot in the spring, taking place shortly after the Six Nations Championship, with the target of improving on their attendance record from the 2011–12 season.[28] In front of a new world record crowd of 83,889, which exceeded the figure set in the same fixture two seasons earlier, they triumphed over Harlequins with a final score of 39–17.[29]
Saracens and Harlequins confirmed that they would continue their burgeoning rivalry with a return to Wembley Stadium in March 2015.[30] Saracens took the victory with a final score of 42–14 – their largest winning margin at the stadium. For the third consecutive meeting between the two teams at Wembley, a new world record was set, as 84,068 supporters attended to create the biggest ever crowd for a rugby union club match.[31]
Saracens and Harlequins met at Wembley Stadium once again in April 2016, with the home club earning the win with a score of 22–12. Although the fixture did not set a new attendance record, the match-day gate exceeded 80,000 for the third year in a row.[32]
The 2017 edition of Derby Day was the event's last appearance at Wembley Stadium, before moving to alternative venues in subsequent years.[33]Saracens beat Harlequins by a score of 40–19.[34]
Saracens confirmed they would return for their second and final outing at the London Stadium in March 2019.[37] The home side earned the win over Harlequins with a final score of 27–20.[38]
The first edition of The Showdown, contested between Saracens and Harlequins, was originally scheduled for the final weekend of March 2020.[39] However, the outbreak of COVID-19 forced its delay until August 2020 and prevented it from being held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Hosted instead at Barnet Copthall, Saracens won the match with a bonus point, by a score of 38–24.[40]
The third edition of The Showdown, contested between Saracens and Harlequins, again took place one week on from the conclusion of the 2023 Six Nations Championship.[43] Saracens achieved a bonus-point victory, with a score of 36–24, which also secured them a home berth in the 2022–23 Premiership play-offs.[44] The game notably recorded the largest match-day attendance of the entire 2022–23 regular season. Broadcast simultaneously on both BT Sport and ITV, it also set a new viewership record, drawing the biggest ever audience for a Premiership match.[45]
The fourth edition of The Showdown saw Saracens face off against Harlequins for the second year in a row, taking place when the 2023–24 Premiership season resumed, one weekend after the 2024 Six Nations Championship concluded.[46] In front of their biggest crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to date, Saracens achieved their largest ever victory over Harlequins, with a score of 52–7.[47] As with the previous year, the fixture's simultaneous live broadcasts on ITV and TNT Sports set a new Premiership television audience record – drawing the highest average viewership in the competition's history, at 913,000 people.[48]
In September 2009, Saracens scheduled a special exhibition friendly against South Africa at Wembley Stadium in November – coinciding with the 2009 autumn internationals, during which the Springboks had lined up a tour of the Northern Hemisphere.[49] The announcement followed investment by a South African consortium, which included former Springbok captains Francois Pienaar and Morné du Plessis, into Saracens earlier in 2009.[50] The new investors stated the game was part of their objective to expand the club's supporter base, by tapping into the UK's South African expatriate community, and a number of players from the country were recruited to join Saracens ahead of the 2009–10 Premiership season, under director of rugby Brendan Venter.[51]
The exhibition match took place on 17 November 2009, in front of a then-record live crowd for a Saracens fixture, with a total of 46,281 people in attendance.[52] For the game, Saracens selected 10 South Africa-born players in their 22-man matchday squad.[53] Overcoming a 12-point half-time deficit, Saracens eventually claimed a 24–23 victory, with former Springbok fly-half Derick Hougaard kicking the winning drop goal for the London club.[54]
To date, this remains the only rugby union fixture to be contested between Saracens and South Africa, despite suggestions of a potential rematch over the subsequent years.[55] Another exhibition game between the club and South African side Stormers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had been announced for an unconfirmed date in 2021, but this event ultimately never came to fruition, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[56]
As with their male counterparts, Saracens Women and Harlequins Women established a strong rivalry in Premiership Women's Rugby (formerly known as Premier 15s), having finished in the top two and competed in the play-off final in three consecutive seasons.[57] During the 2019–20 season, Saracens announced that their home fixture against Harlequins would become an annual showpiece event under the banner of 'The Duel' – however, the first of these games, which was originally scheduled for April 2020, was cancelled, after the entire season was abandoned, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[58] The launch eventually took place at the StoneX Stadium during the 2020–21 season.
Saracens Women and Harlequins Women contested The Duel for the first time in March 2021.[59] Due to temporary law changes implemented for the 2020–21 Premier 15s season, this was the only instance that the showpiece fixture had a 70-minute duration, rather than the usual 80 minutes.[60] The match ultimately concluded in a 17–17 draw.[61]
Saracens Women and Harlequins Women again met for the third incarnation of The Duel in February 2023.[64] Saracens emerged as the victors, with a final score of 32–12.[65] The event set a new club attendance record for a women's rugby home game, recording a live gate of 2,992 people.[66]
Saracens Women announced the return of The Duel for the fourth consecutive season in February 2024, with rivals Harlequins Women again confirmed as the opponents.[67] Saracens withstood a late Harlequins comeback to claim victory, by a score of 29–24.[68] For the second year in a row, the fixture recorded the largest ever crowd for a Saracens women's home match, exceeding 3,000 attendees at the StoneX Stadium for the first time.[69]
