The Big Game is an annual Rugby Union match hosted by Harlequin F.C. during the Christmas holiday season each year. As of 2011 for sponsorship purposes it is known as The LV= Big Game. It is one of Harlequins' regular home matches in the Aviva Premiership but it is moved from their usual home ground at the Twickenham Stoop (approximately 14,000 seats) to the much larger Twickenham Stadium (approximately 80,000 seats). The Big Game refers to matches around the Christmas period hosted by Harlequins but there are other high-profile matches in London between the capital's rugby clubs at other times, particularly the London Double Header at Twickenham and Saracens F.C.'s European or Premiership games at Wembley Stadium.
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The first Big Game was against Leicester Tigers.[1]
Big Game 2 was against London Wasps. It set a record Premiership attendance of 76,716.[2]
Big Game 3 was against London Irish.[3]
Harlequins' opponents for Big Game 4 on 27th December 2011 were Saracens F.C.. Going into the game Harlequins had won all of their Premiership games, but fell to defeat in this their eleventh game to the team second in the table. As Twickenham had a capacity 82,000 crowd this game set a global rugby union attendance record for a regular-season club fixture.[4]