Murrayfield
Rugby
Autumn Internationals
Edinburgh
Score:
45
/ 60
Overview
Murrayfield during the autumn internationals, much like the Scotland team, has great promise but doesn’t consistently deliver. The stadium itself is arguably the best of the home nations’ grounds, offering great views from seats of all pricing categories and the spectacular sight of international rugby being played under the waning light of a Scottish autumn sunset. Crowds can be feverish for the biggest games against top-tier opposition, of which there are typically one or two per autumn, and much more muted for those against lesser sides where competition is sorely lacking. Catering options appear plentiful and varied, but are generally expensive and bland. You might benefit both dietetically and financially by filling up before you leave home. That said, provided you’re prepared for extremely variable weather conditions, there are few better things to do on a November afternoon.
Score Summaries
Atmosphere & Experience: 8
The minute-and-a-half it takes to perform Flower of Scotland is so spine-tingling that one is essentially forced to give Murrayfield a high score here. If, when the pipes and drums stop and 62,000 people sing the second verse a capella, you don’t feel like you’d die for Scotland then you’re the problem. As for everything that comes after that, a lot will depend on how Scotland do on the day, and that, frankly, is anyone’s guess. A competitive match against top opposition, like 2025’s clash with New Zealand, promises an electric atmosphere. Rousing renditions of the national anthem and Loch Lomond will ring out around the ground, howls of rage at perceived refereeing injustices will challenge the structural integrity of your eardrums, and pints of Tennent’s will fly. A team run against third-tier opposition, like the 85-0 annihilation of the USA the week before that tense New Zealand match, will see a curiously flat feeling descend over the crowd. Sure, it’s nice to see your nation piling on tries but it’s hardly entertaining when they can run rings around the opposition and dominate every aspect of play.
Seats: 9
While they are certainly crammed together, there are very few bad seats at Murrayfield. For the last two autumn series, I have opted for the cheapest package deal providing category 4 seats for all four matches. At around £200 this deal has provided me with surprisingly decent views, generally from the lower tier corner of the East Stand or the middle rows of the upper tier. Should you wish to take a chance on Murrayfield at one of the lower-octane fixtures, a comparable single game ticket for a match against the likes of Tonga will set you back less than £30. Pricier options along the sidelines in the West or East stands offer more commanding views of the action and are certainly worth the investment for the biggest fixtures. Depending on how unscrupulous you are, you may also be able to sneak from your cheap seat to a better one at the fixtures against lower-level opposition, which tend not to sell out completely. Not that I would ever do, or advocate that you attempt, such a thing.
Catering: 4
Pre-match emails sent to ticketholders boast that Murrayfield has more than 50 catering outlets for punters. Sadly, though, this is a sign that quantity has been heavily favoured over quality. Take for example, the imaginatively named Greek Food Truck, where you’ll part with £13 for a halloumi wrap. Thirteen pounds. And what does it buy you? A masterclass in how not to make a gyro. Desert dry pita, salad composed almost entirely of pungent raw onion bunched up at the bottom of that roll of carboard pretending it’s bread, a clot of lukewarm chips, and some burnt breadcrumbs that a forensic scientist might be able to demonstrate to you contain trace amounts of ‘Cypriot-style cheese’ but definitely not halloumi. All of this is garnished with an ungenerous ration of industrial chemicals masquerading as ‘yoghurt and mint sauce’, which the perpetrators of this culinary robbery will tell you, straight-faced as they squeeze it from a ratty plastic bottle, is tzatziki.
Bars on the sprawling stadium grounds are plentiful, meaning you won’t have to wait too long to get a drink pre-game. If you’re a lager drinker, though, you’re stuck with Tennent’s, which is pish. A lack of bar facilities within the stadium itself, particularly in the middle and upper tiers, means that you’re going to have to go out of the stadium to get a round in at the interval and you’ll be at risk of missing the start of the second half.
Facilities: 7
Seemingly plentiful pre-game, then somehow scarcer than hen’s teeth and attracting queues that snake all over the place at half-time. Good luck trying to pee and then get a beer before the second half starts. At least they’re not grim.
Getting There: 9
You’ll feel like a sardine, but it’s a pretty straightforward tram journey from Edinburgh out to Murrayfield. If coming by train, get off at Haymarket and either squeeze onto the tram for the one-stop trip to the stadium or opt for the 20-minute walk if you fancy some fresh air.
Getting Away: 8
Be prepared to wait if you’re taking the tram back to the city centre. If you’re heading to Haymarket and the walk is an option for you, it’s likely to be much quicker.