JUST STOP OIL protesters forced a stoppage in play during Saturday’s Gallagher Rugby Premiership final at Twickenham.

Two men invaded the pitch midway through the first half of the match between Saracens and Sale, throwing orange paint powder on to the field.

Fans jeered the duo before cheering as stewards escorted them from the stadium.

Orange powder remained on the field as the match resumed.

“Two supporters of Just Stop Oil took to the field in today’s rugby premiership final,” the protest group tweeted. 

We will continue to take disruptive action until this government stops new fossil fuels.

🚨 TIME TO TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISIS

🦺 Two supporters of Just Stop Oil took to the field in today's rugby premiership final.

🚷 We will continue to take disruptive action until this government stops new fossil fuels.

💸 Support us at https://t.co/9r9837HNi8#Twickenham pic.twitter.com/mskWa42L9D

— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) May 27, 2023

Just Stop Oil also tweeted a statement from one of the men they said was involved in the protest, Dr Patrick Hart (37) a GP from Bristol.

“I am doing this because it’s my duty as a doctor. The climate crisis is the greatest health crisis humanity has ever faced. People are dying now and more will die every day unless we stop new oil, gas and coal,” the statement reads.

Just Stop Oil have become notorious for a number of high profile actions aimed at raising awareness around the environmentally damaging effects of continued fossil fuel exploration and extraction.

In October last year protestors threw tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. Protestors have also staged a number of traffic disrupting in London and elsewhere, among other actions. 

Today’s protest followed a similar one at the World Snooker Championship in April.

On that occasion, a man tipped orange paint on the table during the match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry at the Crucible in Sheffield.

A woman was prevented from executing a similar stunt on the other table after being tackled by quick-thinking referee Olivier Marteel.

With reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald