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LONDON (AFP) –
Aeriel view of London’s Olympic Stadium on August 3, 2012. London’s Olympic Stadium has been confirmed as one of 13 venues for the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup in England and will stage five matches, tournament organisers announced.
London’s Olympic Stadium was confirmed as one of 13 venues for the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup in England and will stage five matches, tournament organisers announced Thursday.
England will play the opening match of the tournament at their Twickenham headquarters in south-west London on Friday September 18 against a team from the Oceania qualifying group, most likely Fiji.
Twickenham will also host two quarter-finals and both semi-finals, with the other two quarter-finals at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium — the only non-English venue.
The Olympic Stadium, the main site of the 2012 Games, will stage five pool matches plus the bronze medal match.
Only two grounds dedicated to club rugby were included among the list of 13 venues — Gloucester’s Kingsholm and Exeter’s Sandy Park, with several football stadiums set to host World Cup matches including Manchester City‘s Eastlands, Villa Park in Birmingham and Newcastle’s St James’ Park.
In all 10 English cities, plus Cardiff, will stage the 48 matches of the World Cup, with New Zealand the reigning champions after triumphing on home soil in 2011.
England will be bidding for a second World Cup title after defeating then hosts Australia in the 2003 final in Sydney.
Venues announced Thursday for the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup in England:
Twickenham (10 matches) Wembley (two matches), Olympic Stadium (five matches), Millennium Stadium, Cardiff/WAL (eight matches) Eastlands, Manchester (one match), St James’ Park, Newcastle (three matches), Elland Road, Leeds, (two matches), King Power Stadium, Leicester (three matches), Villa Park, Birmingham (two matches), Kingsholm, Gloucester (four matches), stadiummk, Milton Keynes (three matches), Amex Stadium, Brighton (two matches) and Sandy Park, Exeter (three matches)
