Twickers get 2015 opener
London's Olympic Stadium was confirmed as one of 13 venues for the 2015 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 quarterfinals and both semifinals, with the other two quarterfinals 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.
Several soccer stadiums are 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 (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)
Sandy Park, Exeter (three matches)
Fixtures:
Friday, September 18: (Pool A) England v Oceania One – Twickenham Stadium
Saturday, September 19: (Pool C) Tonga v Europe One – Kingsholm Stadium
Saturday, September 19: (Pool D) Ireland v Americas One – Millennium Stadium
Saturday, September 19: (Pool B) South Africa v Asia One – Brighton Community Stadium
Saturday, September 19: (Pool D) France v Italy – Twickenham Stadium
Sunday, September 20: (Pool B) Samoa v Americas Two – Brighton Community Stadium
Sunday, September 20: (Pool C) New Zealand v Argentina – Wembley Stadium
Sunday, September 20: (Pool A) Wales v Play-off winner – Millennium Stadium
Wednesday, September 23: (Pool B) Scotland v Asia One – Kingsholm Stadium
Wednesday, September 23: (Pool A) Australia v Oceania One – Millennium Stadium
Wednesday, September 23: (Pool D) France v Europe Two – Olympic Stadium
Thursday, September 24: (Pool C) New Zealand v Africa One – Olympic Stadium
Friday September 25: (Pool C) Argentina v Europe One – Kingsholm Stadium
Saturday, September 26: (Pool D) Italy v Americas One – Elland Road
Saturday, September 26: (Pool B) South Africa v Samoa – Villa Park
Saturday, September 26: (Pool A) England v Wales – Twickenham Stadium
Sunday, September 27: (Pool A) Australia v Play-off winner – Villa Park
Sunday, September 27: (Pool B) Scotland v Americas Two – Elland Road
Sunday, September 27: (Pool D) Ireland v Europe Two – Wembley Stadium
Tuesday, September 29: (Pool C) Tonga v Africa One – Sandy Park
Thursday, October 1: (Pool D) France v Americas One – stadiummk
Thursday, October 1: (Pool A) Wales v Oceania One – Millennium Stadium
Friday October 2: (Pool C) New Zealand v Europe One – Millennium Stadium
Saturday, October 3: (Pool B) Samoa v Asia One – stadiummk
Saturday, October 3: (Pool B) South Africa v Scotland – St James' Park
Saturday, October 3: (Pool A) England v Australia – Twickenham Stadium
Sunday, October 4: (Pool C) Argentina v Tonga – Leicester City Stadium
Sunday, October 4: (Pool D) Ireland v Italy – Olympic Stadium
Tuesday, October 6: (Pool D) Americas One v Europe Two – Leicester City Stadium
Tuesday, October 6: (Pool A) Oceania One v Play-off winner – stadiummk
Wednesday, October 7: (Pool C) Africa One v Europe One – Sandy Park
Wednesday, October 7: (Pool B) South Africa v Americas Two – Olympic Stadium
Friday October 9: (Pool C) New Zealand v Tonga St – James' Park
Saturday, October 10: (Pool B) Samoa v Scotland – St James' Park
Saturday, October 10: (Pool A) Australia v Wales – Twickenham Stadium
Saturday, October 10: (Pool A) England v Play-off winner – Manchester City Stadium
Sunday, October 11: (Pool D) Italy v Europe Two – Sandy Park
Sunday, October 11: (Pool B) Americas Two v Asia One – Kingsholm Stadium
Sunday, October 11: (Pool C) Argentina v Africa One – Leicester City Stadium
Sunday, October 11: (Pool D) France v Ireland – Millennium Stadium
Saturday, October 17: Quarterfinal One: Winner Pool C v Runner-Up Pool D – Millennium Stadium
Saturday, October 17: Quarterfinal Two: Winner Pool B v Runner-Up Pool A – Twickenham Stadium
Sunday, October 18: Quarterfinal Three: Winner Pool D v Runner-Up Pool C – Millennium Stadium
Sunday, October 18: Quarterfinal Four: Winner Pool A v Runner-Up Pool B – Twickenham Stadium
Saturday, October 24: Semifinal One: Winner Quarterfinal One v Winner Quarterfinal Two – Twickenham Stadium
Sunday, October 25: Semifinal Two: Winner Quarterfinal Three v Winner Quarterfinal Four – Twickenham Stadium
Friday October 30: Bronze medal match – Olympic Stadium
Saturday, October 31: Final – Twickenham Stadium
AFP
