Cabbage Patch, Twickenham,

Middlesex

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises manager Stuart Green has been planning hard to make the most of the World Cup. A new permanent outside bar has been built, together with an outside covered area. He will also be trialling a new fast-pour system to help speed up service.

"We aim to attract a loyal rugby crowd and we will be running a fantasy rugby league to further enhance this," says Green. "Although anyone can play via our website, we will be incentivising participation through bonus points for visiting the pub.

"We have seven plasma TV screens and three big screens throughout the pub. We will have gutsy rugby grub on the menu, such as our home-made steak and kidney puddings, and extra staff to lay on table service." The pub has close connections with local rugby clubs, having sponsored the Harlequins ladies' team and through supporting the Teddington Youth Development Squad and Ealing.



The Cow, Parkstone, Dorset

The Morning Advertiser's pub of the year has built up a reputation for its legendary rugby days. Owner David Sax is holding a black-tie dinner on the Thursday before England's crunch game against South Africa. Tickets are £49 for a three-course dinner with guest speaker ex-England prop Jeff Probyn. "That is our big event," says Sax. "We have sent out flyers advertising what games we will be showing to encourage people to get down to the Cow."

Other events include a toga party for the England v Tonga game. "It's hard to plan for the games after that because we don't know who England will be playing and when.

"But I think we will do a lot better than people think. All our marketing is full of bravado that we will win it again and I am hoping for a semi-final at least."