The Rugby World Cup is underway, making the next five weeks the only time you can go to a bar to watch a hooker without looking dodgy (is that a dad joke, or just a bad joke?).
It’s time to pull out your green and gold and cheer on the Wallabies as they bid to bring home the William Webb Ellis trophy for a third time.
Thanks to the UK time difference, it won’t be hard to spot the rugby aficionados around town; they’ll roll into work with tired eyes, coffee in hand and hoarse voices thanks to kick-off times ranging between 12.30am and 11.30pm.
The Wallabies start their Pool A opener against Fiji in Cardiff this Thursday at 1.45am Brisbane-time, before taking on Uruguay on Sunday (27 September) at 9pm, England on Sunday 4 October at 6am and Wales on Sunday 11 October at 2.45am.
There are a few places around town that will be going football crazy and showing most or all of the games, both live and in replay, so here is our pick of the best Brisbane bars to watch the Rugby World Cup so you don’t need to miss a ruck, tackle or maul.
Pig ‘N’ Whistle
Riverside + Queen St Mall
Whoever you go for and whatever country you’re from, the Pig ‘N’ Whistle Riverside is dedicated to showing as many matches as possible from the 2015 Rugby World Cup live and uninterrupted. Check out their match schedule here. Take note of the lockout times for certain games, due to licensing restrictions but if Riverside aren’t able to show a 4am or 5am match, the Pig 'N' Whistle Queen Street will have it covered! They are also doing special breakfasts for the games and have encouraged expat groups to head along to support their home countries.
Treasury Casino
Brisbane
Treasury Casino’s LiveWire Bar has proclaimed itself to be the official Rugby World Cup Clubhouse. They’ll be showing all the big games on the big screen. See their match guide here. Plus if you buy two Heinekens from the LiveWire Bar, you’ll receive a 2-for-1 meal voucher valid between 8pm and 9am at Kitchen at Treasury and 2GO restaurants so even if your team doesn’t get up, you’re a winner!
The Alliance Hotel
Spring Hill
As the meeting place of the new Queensland Rugby Club, it’s not surprise The Alliance Hotel in Spring Hill will be showing all of the Wallabies games, and the Finals, live on their big screens. Boasting an extensive range of craft beers, cider, wine and premium spirits, you’ll have plenty of choices to drown your sorrows if your team goes down. Check out there match guide here.
The Victory Hotel
Brisbane
The Victory Hotel are running with extended trading hours throughout the Cup campaign, and while you won’t be able to get a beer between 5am and 10am, they’ll be putting on some special breakfast offers.
The Regatta Hotel
Toowong
It’s a Toowong institution, and The Regatta Hotel will be the place to head to catch all the glory of the World Cup if you live in the western suburbs! They’ll be showing all the games on the big screen in Merle’s Bar, plus they’ve extended their liquor license so the Australian games and finals can be shown live! Game times are listed here.