On December 8, 2008, Harlequins made history while playing at the Stade de France, where flamboyant marketing by Stade Francaiś’s owner, Max Guazzini, drew massive crowds. Harlequins’ chief executive, Mark Evans, took inspiration from Stade’s success to host a match at Twickenham, challenging skepticism about London’s rugby appeal. The match broke attendance records, selling 50,000 tickets and reshaping the perception of rugby events in the city.