Rugby World Cup 2015: Olympic Stadium to host games

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London 2012 Olympic Stadium

London's Olympic Stadium will host five games at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which is being held across 13 venues.

Twickenham will host the opening match of the 20-team event on 18 September, with hosts England taking on the winner of the Oceania qualifying competition.

Eight football stadiums, including Wembley and Villa Park will be used.

Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Ian Ritchie said: "It is truly a national event that the game and the country will feel a part of."

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, Kingsholm in Gloucester and Exeter's Sandy Park are the only other rugby venues.

International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "The Rugby World Cup is very special. It's not a football stadium or a rugby stadium, it's a stadium for the Rugby World Cup."

The Olympic Stadium will host pool games involving South Africa, New Zealand and France, as well as hosting the match between Ireland and Italy on Sunday, 4 October.

The bronze match, on Friday, 30 October, will also be played at the east London stadium.

The 82,000-capacity Twickenham will host 10 games, including three of England's four pool games, two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final on Saturday, 31 October.

England will play their final pool game, against a qualifier, at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

The Millennium Stadium will host two of Wales' pool games and two quarter-finals among its eight games.

Wales open their campaign in Cardiff on Sunday, 20 September against a qualifier, before taking on England at Twickenham the following Saturday.

Scotland play their opening game at Kingsholm on Wednesday, 23 September before their next game four days later at Leeds United's Elland Road.

The 13 venues were selected from a long list that was announced in October 2012.

Sandy Park and the Etihad Stadium were added to the list after Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium was withdrawn.

Five other football stadiums were also omitted - Sunderland's Stadium of Light, St Mary's in Southampton, Bristol City's Ashton Gate, Derby's Pride Park and the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

The tournament's organisers, England Rugby 2015, must sell 2.9 million tickets to cover the £80m guarantee owed to the International Rugby Board.

England Rugby 2015's chief executive Debbie Jevans said: "It is a great mix and will ensure that 92% of the population is within 50 miles of a World Cup venue.

"We're confident we're going to be able to honour the minimum access prices that there were and that's certainly a commitment to us to be able to do that.

"We really wanted to take England to the north west and we are delighted Manchester City came to the table.

"We want 2015 to remembered as a rugby year, the Rugby World Cup, and to create a generation of rugby heroes and role models."

Twelve teams have qualified for the finals - Australia, England and Wales in Pool A, South Africa, Samoa and Scotland in Pool B, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga in Pool C and France, Ireland and Italy in Pool D.

Each pool will be made up of five teams, meaning there are eight places to be filled via a series of qualifying matches which will be concluded in 2014.

See the full schedule.

World Cup venues:

Twickenham - 81,605 (London)

Wembley - 90,256 (London)

Olympic Stadium - 54,000 (London)

Millennium Stadium - 74,154 (Cardiff)

Etihad Stadium - 47,800 (Manchester)

St James' Park - 52,409 (Newcastle)

Elland Road - 37,914 (Leeds)

King Power Stadium - 32,312 (Leicester)

Villa Park - 42,785 (Birmingham)

Kingsholm - 16,115 (Gloucester)

Stadium MK - 30,717 (Milton Keynes)

Amex Stadium - 30,750 (Brighton)

Sandy Park - 12,300 (Exeter)

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439 comments

  • Comment posted by Impedimental, at 11:32 2 May 2013

    72.TheShadow
    'Who Cares about these egg chasers anyway........ just so some public school wideboys can talk rugger. American Football is more global than this drival...I'm appalled by this and the ministy of sport will get a letter from me'


    Please post your letter online so that everyone can fall about laughing not just those in the ministry

  • Comment posted by kris, at 10:49 2 May 2013

    I still think it's crazy that they're using the Leicester City football stadium over Welford Road, the biggest club ground in the country.

  • Comment posted by U7032234, at 11:39 2 May 2013

    @72 "egg chasers". And the shape of the ball in American Football is??

  • Comment posted by HMMurdoch, at 11:06 2 May 2013

    @26: South Africa and the Springboks. No wonder the Saffers are good, they get to put two teams out!

    Either you are on the wum or are clueless.

  • Comment posted by U14979412, at 11:57 2 May 2013

    I'm English and living in Cardiff. I think the Millennium is a good choice as it's one of the best stadiums around and architecturally brilliant! It's central to all the bars, clubs and restaurants and Cardiff Bay isn't too far away either.

  • Comment posted by U14587081, at 11:05 2 May 2013

    26. Money.

    So these four good teams include both South Africa and the Springboks?

  • Comment posted by colinwe, at 11:44 2 May 2013

    83. quicksesh
    why Cardiff .. someone explain to me why the English have to hold matches in another country

    Because its a great stadium. I'm English but would much rather go there than down to London. The location of the stadium in the city is superb. loads of bars, restaurants all within easy reach and they don't rip you off. Wembley's a joke in comparison.

  • Comment posted by Hugo Grotius, at 11:02 2 May 2013

    @26. Money

    Why is Rugby a world sport?
    There are only 4 good teams, ie South Africa, All blacks, Springboks and Australia
    The others have no chance in hell of winning the world cup
    Unlike like football where there is at least 15 teams who can win the world cup

    --

    15 teams?!?!

    Name them, and if you include England I know you are having a laugh.

  • Comment posted by U15712345, at 10:51 2 May 2013

    @mackem Dave

    Surely more Scottish fans would prefer to make a trip down to Newcastle as opposed to going all the way to London to watch their team play Samoa?

  • Comment posted by Mike, at 11:52 2 May 2013

    72.
    TheShadow


    "I'm appalled by this and the ministy of sport will get a letter from me. That is a PROMISE"

    ooh, I bet they are quaking in their boots. It's clear you have a very over-inflated sense of your own self importance.

  • Comment posted by U13914669, at 11:29 2 May 2013

    People moaning about Wales playing at MS, can you recall 1999 when England played their 3 pool games at Twickenham?
    It would have been agreed between RFU & WRU, that if the MS was to be used that Wales would get to play at MS, same as it would have agreed in 1999.
    More money made & better atmosphere with fuller stadiums.

  • Comment posted by christof, at 11:01 2 May 2013

    I'm more into football than rugby and I think it is a great shame for the Rugby World Cup not to be hosted exclusively in rugby stadiums throughout England and possibly Wales/Scotland. It is an opportunity for English (or UK) rugby to showcase their ability to host a World Cup and more money should be invested into rugby - not football.

  • Comment posted by U15383344, at 10:56 2 May 2013

    As a Welshman I have to say it's right that England v Wales will be at Twickenham. Would have been a great spectacle either way, but it does make sense to give the hosts home advantage. I do agree with the posts about Welford Road's omission though, very strange decision.

  • Comment posted by U15419670, at 13:05 2 May 2013

    @201 - Your attempt to be a troll would almost be worthy of reading, if some players hadn't also done these things at the same time as being a professional rugby player, in addition to those like Josh Lewsey working at companies like PWC/Citigroup.

    Bless you for trying.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22154392

  • Comment posted by Lee, at 12:03 2 May 2013

    @124

    Sandy Park???? They chose this over Welford Road? This sounds ridiculous.

    ===================================

    The reason Welford Road wasn't used is because the pitch is too small and narrow and doesn't meet the IRB requirements. It might be the biggest ground in the Premiership in terms of capacity but the pitch is one of the smallest.

  • Comment posted by Steve G, at 12:32 2 May 2013

    @26 Money : "There are only 4 good teams, ie South Africa, All blacks, Springboks and Australia"

    What about New Zealand and the Wallabies?

  • Comment posted by U15712354, at 11:05 2 May 2013

    @26 Money
    Springboks and South Africa are the same team... Get your facts right, also at least 3 if not 4 of the 6 nations sides have a chance of winning the World Cup.

  • Comment posted by U15419670, at 12:48 2 May 2013

    @185 - Genius. Presuming you're an English fan, you are embarrassing us and yourself. They have to make those sort of comments and would be stupid not to, as would we if it was a reverse situation.

  • Comment posted by U13914669, at 12:29 2 May 2013

    @158, Lifeless hole? Wal v Eng 2013, 6 nations, anything but lifeless, which i'd imaging 99% of anyone who was there would agree with. Pitch isn't the greatest but hardly a reason to have "Major chip" on your shoulder.
    And where has anyone insulted England on this thread? Seems to be you with the stinking attitude mate.
    Oh and no music concerts have been held at Twickenham have they?

  • Comment posted by U14589463, at 11:43 2 May 2013

    @85 - It's not completely different at all. Wales didn't have to include England at all. For example they could have made an agreement with Ireland and Scotland only, used the stadia in those three countries and excluded England all together. Wales didn't though and made a decision based on an agreement with England and others about mutual financial gain.

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