Popular pub chain offers free drinks for customers watching Rugby World Cup games in Chesterfield and Derbyshire

Brits are predictable creatures of habit and will to stick to the same trusted tipple regardless of the occasion, according to new research undertaken by Greene King.

Some 64% of pub goers order the same drink every time they visit their local, but when it comes to changing pub habits, more than a third of drinkers (32%) say that a new sports tournament – like the upcoming Rugby World Cup – is a great reason to try a new serve.

Luckily for rugby fans, the pub company and brewer is offering a free pint of Greene King IPA to those visiting a Greene King Sport pub to coincide with the group stages of the upcoming international tournament – to tempt fans into sampling a new drink.

The free drink is available via the Greene King Sport app, with the brand’s flagship Greene King IPA even being renamed to ‘Try’-PA during the first weekend of the tournament.

To claim the offer, fans will need to download the Greene King Sport app and register their email, before using the 10% off code within the app to purchase a drink in a Greene King Sport pub during the first England, Scotland or Wales game.

A free pint of Greene King Try-PA will then be dropped into their basket on Monday, September 11, which can be redeemed in Greene King sport pubs during any live sport fixture before 11.59pm on Monday, September 18.

Participating venues include the Donkey Derby in Chesterfield, Wingerworth’s Smithy Pond, the Old Club House in Buxton and Ilkeston’s Sir John Warren.

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Research from the company has also delved into pub habits, exploring Brits’ drinking preferences ahead of the tournament.

As well as being creatures of habit when it comes to drinks, the nation is also fiercely loyal to its pubs. Half of Brits (49%) have a dedicated pub they’d class as their ‘local’, and although it takes them an average of six months to class a pub as a local, once they do, they are most likely to stick with it for four to five years.

When it comes to match time snacks – there’s one clear winner. Crisps were voted as the best bar snack by nearly six in 10 Brits (57%), followed by nuts (32%), chips (30%) and nachos (15%). Pork Scratchings came bottom of the table with just 15% of the vote.

Michelle West, head of marketing for Greene King Sport, said: “We know pub goers are creatures of habit, and while you might have a favourite local – and even a favourite seat inside – a new sports tournament is a great opportunity to try a new drink.

“We’re showing the International rugby tournament in hundreds of our pubs, so whether you’re showing your support alone, with friends or want to take the whole family to a place with that signature match day environment, there’s a Greene King Sport pub for you to go wherever you are in the country. We’re even offering a pint of Try-PA on us!”