Erica Roe
Encyclopedia
Erica Roe, also known as the Twickenham Streaker, is remembered for a topless run across the pitch of Twickenham Stadium
during an England vs. Australia rugby union match on 2 January 1982. It has been described by the BBC
as "[p]erhaps the most famous of all streaks
". Roe, who later claimed to have been inspired by alcohol, ran onto the field during half time, exposing her 40-inch chest. Roe and the friend who joined her streak were corralled by police officers on the field, one of whom covered Roe's chest with his helmet while leading her off the field.
While Roe was not the first or the last streaker at an athletic event, in 2007 The Independent
of London declared that her "memorable" streak made her a suitable icon to represent all such streakers in their article on sports interruptions. The event prompted Manchester Confidential to dub her "the most famous British streaker".
Roe's continuing celebrity saw her appear on the nostalgic British TV programmes After They Were Famous (1999) and 80s Mania (2001).
She was working at that time in a bookstore in Petersfield
, Hampshire
, but relocated with her husband and children to Portugal to become an organic sweet potato farmer.
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
during an England vs. Australia rugby union match on 2 January 1982. It has been described by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as "[p]erhaps the most famous of all streaks
Streaking
Streaking is the act of running nude through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
". Roe, who later claimed to have been inspired by alcohol, ran onto the field during half time, exposing her 40-inch chest. Roe and the friend who joined her streak were corralled by police officers on the field, one of whom covered Roe's chest with his helmet while leading her off the field.
While Roe was not the first or the last streaker at an athletic event, in 2007 The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
of London declared that her "memorable" streak made her a suitable icon to represent all such streakers in their article on sports interruptions. The event prompted Manchester Confidential to dub her "the most famous British streaker".
Roe's continuing celebrity saw her appear on the nostalgic British TV programmes After They Were Famous (1999) and 80s Mania (2001).
She was working at that time in a bookstore in Petersfield
Petersfield, Hampshire
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, but relocated with her husband and children to Portugal to become an organic sweet potato farmer.