Rugby Park Sports Fan Tips
Rugby Park is a venue in or near Kilmarnock that is most often used for Soccer
How do I get to Rugby Park?
There are a bunch of pay and display car parks in town itself (only 10-15 minutes' walk, probably) and perhaps some street parking, though you might need to shop around a bit to find one. For driving, it's a pretty good venue compared to most!If you come by train, you'll get in to Kilmarnock Railway Station, which is 15-20 minutes' walk from Rugby Park, or a handful of minutes by taxi.
Things to check out around Rugby Park?
Lots of Kilmarnock fans proudly take their kids to games, and there's a great "thing to do” for them in town: the Jungle Madness Soft Play area. There's loads going on – a whole variety of games, areas and activities – and all of them put the child's safety first. There's even a café for the adults which serves food and hot drinks.An alternative has to be Dean Castle and the surrounding country park. Beautiful area and one of the most visited sites in the town, by far.
What to expect from the Rugby Park crowd?
The away fans are housed in the Chadwick Stand, which can accommodate several thousand. Facing out against the home fans on all 3 sides, you'll need to defend yourself against their raucous chanting, singing and overall positivity! It's a great home crowd, so you shouldn't need to worry about getting into trouble or anything like that: be friendly and banteroud and you'll receive it in return.
Best restaurants near Rugby Park?
The Park Hotel – situated right by the stadium – has a really nice restaurant called the Blues Restaurant & Bistro. The menu is varied and regularly strengthened with new dishes and ideas, and the quality of food is superb. Just a short walk away is the Jefferson Restaurant. It has had Kilmarnock regulars coming back for years, and never fails to get visitors' attention. The food is elegant, well-present and British.
Best Food and Drink at Rugby Park?
There's no alcohol sold in the stadium – as part of an agreement between all Scottish clubs - so it's just hot drinks and sugary beverages once you're inside. However, I have it on good authority that the pies are "legendary” and well worth a go. There's the other staple hot food as well (like sausage rolls) but nothing exceptional. The Sports Bar is a great place to grab a drink (under the Frank Beattie stand) before a game.
Best Bars around Rugby Park?
Rugby Park is one of those great venues where there's an away-friendly bar built-in to the stadium! Called the Sports Bar, this little gem sits under the Frank Beattie stand and is open (and free) before the game. Another option is the Park Hotel which is right by the stadium. For a greater selection, just stick around town and get your drinks in there; it's only 10 minutes' walk from the stadium, so you won't be doing yourself any harm with the walk.
Rugby Park seating?
Despite being a fairly new build, the Rugby Park design team seems to have forgotten that Scots aren't known for being petite, and the legroom reflects that oversight. However, apart from that the seats are great! They all offer a good view of the game and are pretty comfortable for the whole two hours. In terms of prices, they're very cheap at maximum of £20 for adults, and £15 for concessions.
Best Insider tip at Rugby Park?
If there's one part of the Rugby Park matchday experience on which everyone agrees, it's that the pies are next-level. Scottish football praises itself on the quality of their pies and Bovril, but it's not often the word "legendary” is thrown about. If you go to a game, you have to try out a Killie Pie – no one knows what's in them, but man, everyone agrees on the quality of taste! They're not too pricey, either, which is a bonus.