![\"UK](\"\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.joe.co.uk%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F02%2FWebsite-Image-Full-Bleed-30.png%3Fheight%3D660%26width%3D1180&w=360&q=75)
<\/p>\nOver a third of Brits haven\u2019t\u202freconnected with someone important to them in more than five years.<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Just in time for the start of the 2026 Guinness\u202fSix Nations, two of England’s best known former players, Martin Johnson and Jason Robinson, have teamed up with British pub giants Greene King to encourage fans to ‘reunite,’ by rekindling relationships, past and present, during of the tournament.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
As part of the \u2018Fans Reunited\u2019\u202fcampaign, rugby supporters will get the chance to enjoy a pint on the house, at one of Greene King’s more than 2,000 venues across the UK, as they reconnect with pals during the tournament’s first matches this Saturday (7 February).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Summing up just how important the new initiative is, 2003 World Cup winner Martin Johnson said: “\u202fRugby has a unique way of bringing people together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
“Friendships formed through sport are unbreakable, and the ones that endure last a lifetime\u202f-\u202fexactly what Greene King\u2019s Fans Reunited campaign celebrates.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
The stats don’t lie when it comes to Brits letting those close friendships slip-by over the years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
New research from the pub retailer and brewery has revealed \u202fthat more than half of Brits (58%) regret losing touch with people who once played\u202fan important role\u202fin their lives, with school friends being the\u202fmost commonly lost\u202fconnection.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Johnson’s claim that sports like rugby play a vital role in maintaining close friendships can’t be doubted either. According to the study, nearly a\u202fthird of people (30%) say their friendships played a key role in sparking their love of sport, while over a quarter (28%) say it brings back fond memories of time spent together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Those in the age range of 35\u201344 are likely (39%) to say that sport makes reconnecting easier, as it revives shared memories and experiences.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Johnson added that the Greene King campaign is “not just about the game;\u202fit\u2019s\u202fabout creating moments that reconnect old friends and strengthen the sense of community that makes rugby, and\u202fFans Reunited, so special.\u201d\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Close to three in ten Brits (31%) say that unifying sporting\u202fmoments provide the best reason to reach out to someone\u202fthey\u2019ve\u202flost touch with.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
So, with the Six Nations now just days away \u2014 and with the prospect of a free pint firmly on the agenda \u2014\u00a0what better time to reach out to a former close friend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
To claim a free pint, fans can make a booking here<\/span><\/strong>. Make sure to read all the terms and conditions of the campaign, at the same time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n England kick-off their tournament against rivals Wales at 16.40pm on Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n #pub #chain #offering #free #pints #Nations #fans #ahead #tournament #JOE.co.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over a third of Brits haven\u2019t\u202freconnected with someone important to them in more than five years. Just in time for the start of the 2026 Guinness\u202fSix Nations, two of England’s best known former players, Martin Johnson and Jason Robinson, have teamed up with British pub giants Greene King to encourage fans to ‘reunite,’ by rekindling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[696,2495,1665,2122,2861,1904,2882,2828,1726,2883],"class_list":{"0":"post-3215","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured","8":"tag-ahead","9":"tag-chain","10":"tag-fans","11":"tag-free","12":"tag-joe-co-uk","13":"tag-nations","14":"tag-offering","15":"tag-pints","16":"tag-pub","17":"tag-tournament"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3215\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldpumpnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}