Between September 18th and October 31st 2015, the eighth Rugby World Cup will take place in England and Wales. After a four-year wait, the top 20 rugby union-playing nations will compete for the Webb Ellis Cup and the accolade of being crowned the champions of the world.
Rugby fans from across the globe are set to descend on the UK this autumn, to follow their nation’s progress and enjoy the fantastic atmosphere that comes with a World Cup tournament. Many of them will choose to stay in London, the capital city, which boasts three of the 13 host stadium.
Competing nations
The Rugby World Cup brings together all of the top union-playing nations in the world, along with emerging second-tier sides and relative minnows of the game. The qualification process for this year’s tournament began in the pool stage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, when the top three sides in each group secured their place.
England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, South Africa and Argentina were all automatic entrants to this year’s tournament. They are joined by Namibia, Canada, the United States, Uruguay, Georgia, Romania and Fiji, who successfully negotiated the qualification process.
New Zealand are the holders of the Webb Ellis Cup, having defeated France 8-7 in a tight encounter at Eden Park, Auckland on October 23rd 2011. This was the lowest-scoring Rugby World Cup final in the history of the tournament.
Tournament Stadium
Rugby World Cup matches will take place at 13 venues across England and Wales. Some 17 matches will take place at the three London venues – including Twickenham, the home of English rugby union – with a further 31 being staged in the regions across the country.
London venues:
1. Twickenham – London
Capacity: 82,000
Number of matches: 10
Distance from central London: 11 miles
2. Wembley Stadium – London
Capacity: 90,000
Number of matches: 2
Distance from central London: 12.7 miles
3. Olympic Stadium – London
Capacity: 54,000
Number of matches: 5
Distance from central London: 9.3 miles
Other venues:
4. Millennium Stadium – Cardiff
Capacity: 74,500
Number of matches: 8
Distance from central London: 150 miles
5. Brighton Community Stadium – Brighton
Capacity: 30,750
Number of matches: 2
Distance from central London: 53 miles
6. Stadium mk – Milton Keynes
Capacity: 30,000
Number of matches: 3
Distance from central London: 54 miles
7. Leicester City Stadium – Leicester
Capacity: 32,262
Number of matches: 3
Distance from central London: 101 miles
8. Kingsholm Stadium – Gloucester
Capacity: 16,500
Number of matches: 4
Distance from central London: 112 miles
9. Villa Park – Birmingham
Capacity: 42,788
Number of matches: 2
Distance from central London: 125 miles
10. Sandy Park – Exeter
Capacity: 12,500
Number of matches: 3
Distance from central London: 197 miles
11. Elland Road – Leeds
Capacity: 37,900
Number of matches: 2
Distance from central London: 207 miles
12. Manchester City Stadium – Manchester
Capacity: 55,097
Number of matches: 1
Distance from central London: 208 miles
13. St. James’ Park – Newcastle
Capacity: 52,387
Number of matches: 3
Distance from central London: 293 miles
Rail links for London venues
Each of the London stadium being used for the Rugby World Cup has excellent public transport links, ensuring spectators can get to and from matches quickly and easily:
Twickenham
Use Hounslow East on the Piccadilly Line (28 mins on foot) or mainline stations Twickenham (15 mins), Whitton (17 mins)
Wembley Stadium
Use Wembley Park on the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines (10 mins) or Wembley Central on the Bakerloo line (15 mins)
Olympic Stadium
Use Hackney Wick Overground (9 mins) or Stratford on the Jubilee line (11 mins)
Parking for London venues
For spectators arriving at London stadium by car, parking facilities are available nearby:
Twickenham
As the stadium is located in a residential area, the surrounding roads are for resident permit holders only. There is parking at Rosebine Avenue, next to Harlequins RFC on the A316 Chertsey Road. This is a ten-minute walk from the stadium and has easy access to the M3 and M25.
Wembley Stadium
The official car parking for events at Wembley Stadium is at Wembley Park, which has more than 3,000 secure car parking spaces.
Olympic Stadium
Limited paid parking is available at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for visitors using venue facilities. This may require advance booking. The nearest alternative is the Westfield Stratford City car park, which has over 5,000 car park spaces.
Key Rugby World Cup dates
September 18th 2015: Opening ceremony and England v Fiji at Twickenham
October 17th & 18th 2015: Quarter-finals
October 24th & 25th 2015: Semi-finals
October 30th 2015: Bronze medal final
October 31st 2015: Final
