London Mayor Boris Johnson said today that he wants the capital to be at the centre of a bid for the Rugby World Cup in 2015.

Johnson pledged to "strain every nerve" to secure the event, which could be based at Twickenham, Wembley and the new Olympic Stadium.

The Mayor is determined to promote London as the world capital of sport even after the 2012 Olympics and wants to build on the momentum behind the Games.

"Every sport in the world was either invented or codified by the British," said the Mayor, who claimed rugby was the only sport he had ever excelled at.

London has already hosted a stage of the Tour de France and an American NFL game at Wembley, and in coming years will host the World gymnastics championships and the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup.

England jointly staged the Cup with the other Four Home Unions in 1991 and failed to land the event in 2007, when France collected more votes in a bidding system that has now been scrapped by the International Rugby Board.

The Board will now choose the winning bid based on the tender document and financial package being promised by the hosts. Potential hosts have to bid by May next year.

English rugby chiefs today welcomed Johnson's support and an Rugby Football Union spokesman said: "We welcome the mayor's support and will do everything in our power to bring the World Cup to England in 2015.

"We have expressed our interest and the IRB will make their decision on the 2015 and 2019 Cups on 28 July next year."

England have reportedly already held informal talks with Wales to jointly host the Cup with the final being played at Twickenham - as happened in 1991.

The other nations who have expressed an interest in hosting the 2015 tournament are; Japan, Australia, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.