With under six months to go until the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the 15 official fanzone locations across England and in Cardiff, as well as the route of the trophy tour, have been announced. Fanzones will be located within each Host City as well as the birthplace of the game, Rugby, and Trafalgar Square.
Fanzones will be open on matchdays and varying other times throughout the tournament, and most will be showing matches live. Each will have its own unique regional content, and can be found in locations as varied as Brighton beach and the Gloucester Docks, providing fans, residents and visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the build-up to matches and join in with the nationwide celebration of rugby. England Rugby 2015 anticipates that over one million fans will visit the official fanzones over the course of the tournament. You can view their opening dates here.
The official trophy tour will start on June 10, exactly 100 days before the first match kicks off. The Webb Ellis Cup will travel through Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and England counting down to the start of the Tournament before arriving at Twickenham Stadium on September 18 ahead of the Opening Ceremony.
The trophy will travel through Scotland between June 10-15, before heading to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (June 16-25), through Wales (June 26-July 6) and then touring England between July 7 and September 18. You can keep up to date with the trophy’s movements here.
Debbie Jevans, Chief Executive Officer of England Rugby 2015, said: “With less than six months to go we are delighted to announce the locations of the Official Fanzones, alongside details of the 100 day Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour across the UK and Ireland. The countdown to Rugby World Cup 2015 is on and fans can now really begin to plan their Tournament experience, be it through watching the matches, through Fanzones, the Festival of Rugby and the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour.
“We are pleased to deliver another Tournament first with an Official Fanzone in every Host City as well as additional Fanzones in Rugby – the birthplace of the Game – and London’s Trafalgar Square. We have worked with all our Host Cities, Local Authorities and the Mayor of London to identify a range of fantastic locations including city centres, parks, match venues and waterfronts to give fans, residents and visitors a uniquely regional experience and a focal point for celebrating the Tournament and the wider game of rugby. Capacities will range from 2,000 to over 10,000 and we would like to thank all of our Host Cities, Local Authorities and the Mayor of London for their fantastic support and we look forward to welcoming upwards of 1 million people to the Official Fanzones.
“The Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour will be the perfect opportunity to excite and engage fans across the UK and Ireland and make 2015 feel like the year of the rugby nation. Delivering a continuous 100 day tour means we can give as many fans as possible the opportunity to see the Webb Ellis Cup and tell us their rugby story as they countdown to their own Tournament experience. We have been delighted with the success of the international Trophy Tour, engaging with thousands of people across the globe, and hope to replicate that success when the Trophy Tour goes to Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and England.”