The Organising Committee for Rugby World Cup 2015, have confirmed that Sandy Park has been added to the long list of potential match venues.
The Devon venue has been identified as one of a number of potential hosting sites by competition organisers, England Rugby 2015, who are keen to ensure the tournament utilises venues all over the country.
The home of the Premiership Rugby side Exeter Chiefs has been added due to Bristol City's planned redevelopment of Ashton Gate creating uncertainty over the stadium's availability.
Ashton Gate will remain on the long list but organisers were keen to ensure there was an alternative in the South West if the difficulties posed by the redevelopment cannot be solved.
Sandy Park, which was built in 2006 at a cost of £15 million, meets all of the Rugby World Cup 2015 minimum standards criteria, including playing facilities, pitch size, commercial considerations and the support of the local authority. In addition, the stadium will also have an increased capacity by 2015.
"We are very pleased to add Sandy Park to the long list of potential match venues for Rugby World Cup 2015," said England Rugby 2015 chief executive Debbie Jevans.
"We want to ensure that Rugby World Cup 2015 is a truly national event, and Sandy Park, located in the rugby heartland of the South West, gives us the option to take the Tournament as far and wide as possible."
The addition of Sandy Park means there are now four traditional rugby venues including Twickenham, the Millennium Stadium and Gloucester's Kingsholm on a long list otherwise made up of football grounds and the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.
The announcement comes after organisers on Sunday denied reports that the final list of 12 venues had already been decided, with Ashton Gate said to be included.
Comments
lawynd says...
@Stellenbosched2 - if you'd let us win last summer's series, we'd have not only slung you a couple of group games to Port Elizabeth and Cape Town but we'd have stopped Sarries trying to play down there too. Your loss!
Posted 10:16 08th March 2013
APV1 says...
@ Stellenbosched2 - touché!
Posted 15:19 06th March 2013
Stellenbosched2 says...
Hi APV1,
Well I saw the name Sandy Park and immediately thought that the Egyptians had managed to get a RWC home game ahead of SA. Sorry about that, it is probably the French with their Stade de France that this article is refering to.
Posted 14:13 06th March 2013
APV1 says...
@ Stellenbosched2 - what have the Egyptians got to do with this?
Posted 10:09 06th March 2013
Stellenbosched2 says...
According to the IRB's own rules about no more co-hosting, the Millennium stadium should have been removed from the list for England 2015. There are many who are interested to see whether the IRB has the guts to stand up to the ERFU.
Posted 04:52 06th March 2013
APV1 says...
@ lawynd - thankfully my selective memory means I have no recollection of any such thing ever happening.
Posted 17:49 05th March 2013
lawynd says...
@APV1 - nothing to do with the fact that you're usually driving past before or after Bath have enjoyed(?) a spanking there, is it? ;)
Posted 15:53 05th March 2013
APV1 says...
@ lawynd - I break out in hives every time I go to Welford Road. Even driving past the area makes me gag. At least Sandy Park is in rugby's spiritual home - the West Country.
;-)
@ melkdave - Hear! Hear!
@ lardon - with all of the nonsense surrounding the Rec, we can't really be relied on to provide a suitable venue in Bath, which meet the criteria. The stands have to be temporary and it's all a political and historical hot potato. I appreciate what you mean, but I wasn't really surprised when the Rec wasn't included on the list. And that's despite it being the best ground in the whole wide world. Ever.
Personally I think that we should only use rugby stadia, with the obvious additions of The Olympic Park and Wembley. The Cabbage Patch for the final, obviously.
Personally I think it'd be great filling a smaller stadium for some of the pool matches, rather than risk having empty seats at a bigger one. Remember the Olympic tickets fiasco? We need to learn from that.
Unless we can guarantee selling out big stadia for every match. Even then, there's nowt wrong with Welford Rd, The Rec, etc. Even the older, more "tired" venues have their own charm.
Posted 14:20 05th March 2013
lawynd says...
I'm not saying it's a direct snub to Welford Road - I completely understand the reasoning there. But of the rugby grounds on the shortlist, Welford Road *is* the glaring omission, especially when you consider the absolute hovel of a stadium in Gloucester that they insist on promoting.
Posted 10:59 05th March 2013
lawynd says...
@lardon - I could be wrong, but aren't there plans to develop Sandy Park further, to a capacity of around 20,000? Some of that work might be complete before 2015.
Posted 10:59 05th March 2013
ben7 says...
Good idea but it only holds about 10,000 people.
Really looking forward to seeing matches being played at Old Trafford, The Olympic Stadium and Wembley, especially if theyre sold out!
Posted 22:07 04th March 2013
lardon says...
@Lawynd
I Disagree, The organizers identified that with it was likely that there could be problems with the use of Ashton Gate so an alternative in the West Country was selected so they can spread the tournament out across the whole of the country. Thats not a snub against Leicester and Welford Road, I would argue its a bigger snub of Bath Rugby and Plymouth Argyle FC who have larger stadiums than Sandy Park and are in the West Country.
I agree that Welford Road has been snubbed by the inclusion of the Leicester City Stadium. But completely disagree that this an "makes an even bigger mockery of non-inclusion of Welford Road."
Posted 19:00 04th March 2013
melkdave says...
Yes i would rather see matches at Sandy Park ,than the Millienium ,at least its actually in England ,No offence to the Millienum which is a fantastic stadium.But as ive said before,we have enough good stadia actually in England imo,without having to look elsewhere,and pay another union for the privilege.Keep the money in England ,and for english clubs ,this time.Its costing us enough to host it as it is .
Posted 17:44 04th March 2013
lawynd says...
I'm not questioning Sandy Park's credentials for holding games and I'd be chuffed if I was living in the west country that it has been added, but it makes an even bigger mockery of the non-inclusion of Welford Road.
Posted 17:21 04th March 2013