Split decision

As chair of Gloucester Rugby's official fanclub, Bob Rumble has always loved away games at Bath - or, "that ghastly little stadium down the road from Bristol", as he likes to call the Rec. Thanks to the claustrophobic Pulteney Bridge steps, rival fans are literally rubbing shoulders before they even reach the famously compact ground. Then they get to spend 80 minutes seat-by-jowl with each other, and the "mickey-taking" - Rumble's words - is intense.

- Emma John

"I never learn much about rugby from them," Rumble jokes. "But I come away knowing an awful lot about Volvo cars and Ikea and PTA meetings."

I thought of Rumble when I read that Premiership Rugby will be trialling "away ends" for supporters next month. The idea that separating out its fans is what rugby really wants or needs right now baffled me, which is why I called Rumble, who has spent decades in the Shed, Kingsholm's famously vociferous stand.

Rumble turns out to be as sceptical as me. "They've missed a trick," he says. "They should have waited a couple of weeks and brought this out on April the first."

The convivial atmosphere of a rugby ground - especially compared to the snarling intensity on football terraces - is a big part of why I care for the game. But there are those who think rugby is too quiet. Take the Harlequins flanker Will Evans, who believes away sections are long overdue.

From his perspective, there is nothing better than a concentrated base of support during an away match, upping the noise levels and provoking the home fans to get louder too. "It's like you end up playing in a cauldron, and players love that. I think sometimes a game can reflect the lack of atmosphere within a stadium, but where we've had big away support, the games have ended up being crazy."