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London's 2012 Olympic stadium is being offered as a venue for matches when England hosts the rugby union World Cup in 2015, it was revealed today.
Boris Johnson said the stadium in Stratford could be used by the Rugby Football Union during their tournament. The stadium is being built with 80,000 seats, making it equal to the recently increased capacity at Twickenham, the England rugby team's traditional home.
The Government had been intending to reduce the number to 25,000 when the Stratford stadium is used for athletics after the Games but the decision is being reviewed by the Olympic Park Legacy Company.
A spokesman for Baroness Ford, chairwoman of the company, said the stadium was most likely to remain at full capacity if the English Football Association won the bid for the 2018 World Cup. He said: "Although a decision was made to reduce the number it is now all very much in the melting pot." There is also a possibility of the stadium being used as a venue for Twenty20 and other big international cricket matches. But the Olympic Park Legacy Company stressed that the core use would be as an athletics stadium.
The Rugby Football Union beat competition from South Africa and Italy to stage the tournament, which will run from 4 September to 17 October.
Matches will be staged in 10 cities and 12 stadiums across the country including Wembley, Old Trafford, the Emirates, Anfield and the Millennium Stadium. The last time England hosted the tournament was in 1991.
The Mayor said: "Rugby has a passionate and loyal following in England, the country where this great sport first kicked off.
"With the women's rugby World Cup in 2010, the men's tournament is another feather in the cap for the sport.
"It adds to London's outstanding calendar of international sporting events - from the 2012 Olympics to the Twenty20 World Cup, the NFL at Wembley and the Tour de France Grand Depart.
"London has some of the finest sporting venues in the world and it goes without saying that rugby fans heading to the capital from across the world will enjoy a hearty welcome."
Reader views (4)
Already the desperation at these impending white elephants is becoming apparent. Why did Mr J not simply ask those people who make rugby their business what they might need by way of help? Have they asked him for this stadium? Doesn't sound like it.
Yet again we see the nervous anxiety to control things - or at least take credit for them - that seems to infect all office-holders after a while. It's interesting how little hoo-hah in the press covered the winning of the rugby bid, compared with the Olympics. The difference being that it was in the private hands of those people who care about rugby ( I don't, but good luck to them) and knew what they had to do, and just got on with it.
- Mdj E10, london uk, 29/07/2009 12:29
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To be suitable for Rugby the atheletics track would need to be removed. If left it puts the setaing far to far away from the pitch for spectators. The Rugby World Cup IS after all supposed to be in England. (If we are to include Cardiff why not Edinburgh)?
- Anne Barrie, Watford England, 29/07/2009 12:11
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Yes we can use it instead of the Millennium stadium. I believe England are hosting the rugby, not Britain!
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 29/07/2009 09:58
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What's wrong with Twickenham?I don't think even this new stadium could touch it.
- Steve, London, 29/07/2009 09:24
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