Chasing the chariot: in search of the soul of English rugby

A journey from Twickenham via rugby union’s western heartland and to its northern outposts reveals a sport of confused identitiesStep into the Cardinal Vaughan car park at Twickenham during the Six Nations and it is easy to see why not everyone feels at home. Men with exotically striped blazers mix with tweed, fur and quilt. Tables groan with champagne and glistening quails’ eggs. “We’re all Tories here, aren’t we?” murmurs one patron, gesturing airily around him prior to this year’s England v Scotland game.To many, Twickenham encapsulates English rugby. As with Marylebone Cricket Club and the…