American rugby fans can expect to be outnumbered in Leeds this weekend by the supporters of Scotland.
“Scotland will be the biggest group for Leeds with the U.S. a close second,” said Charlotte Rutherford, PR and Marketing Manager at Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.
Leeds is one of the closest game venues to Scotland in the Rugby World Cup, and Rutherford said the city will be filled with Scots arriving to cheer on their team in Sunday’s match against the USA Eagles.
Canada will play Italy on Saturday at Elland Road Stadium, the first rugby union international to be played there.
Rutherford noted that for the CEO of USA Rugby, Nigel Melville, having rugby union in Leeds is like a homecoming for him as he was born in Leeds.
Rutherford said Leeds is a compact city so that fans can visit a lot in a short time. But if you only have time to visit one thing, Rutherford suggested the Henry Moore Institute. The “VisitBritain” guide to the tournament says the institute celebrates sculpture and is named after Leeds College of Art’s most famous graduate. It says the institute is “part of the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, which is the largest collection of modern sculpture in Europe.”
Rutherford also suggested the Leeds Art Galley, which the guide says has a broad range of exhibitions.
For food, Rutherford was downright enthusiastic about Red’s True Barbecue. BBQ in England?
“Each year Red’s takes a pilgrimage to a Southern U.S. state and brings back what they have learned and shares it.”
See you there.