Brighton & Hove gets ready for Rugby World Cup 2015!
There is now only one year to go until the 8th Rugby World Cup takes place with two matches in Brighton & Hove on the first weekend of the Tournament (September 19 and 20, 2015).
Excitement is building among rugby fans in the city and their enthusiasm is set to be shared in the run up to the Tournament. A group of rugby enthusiasts, old and new, young and old, will contribute to a blog chronicling their experiences of waiting for Rugby World Cup 2015’s arrival in the city.
Blog entries will be created by young pupils from Balfour School tag Rugby team, players from Brighton Rugby Club, ground staff preparing for the matches at Brighton Community Stadium and members of “The Pack”. The blog will go live on Thursday 18 September and can be found at https://brightonandhoverugby2015.blogspot.com
Sarah Razzell applied to be part of The Pack and has taken part in the Try Outs to see if she will be chosen to be a RWC2015 volunteer. Sarah said: “As far back as I can remember my dad and me would watch the Rugby internationals together, shouting and cheering at the TV! I love watching the internationals. I am so happy to share my excitement with other people. Rugby is a fantastic team sport that encourages individuals to work together to win the match, and I really want to try and help promote that locally. It's fantastic that Rugby World Cup 2015 is coming to Brighton. I think the more the city can promote Rugby and get people interested in the game the better.”
Marcelo Staricoff, Balfour Primary headteacher, said: “We are proud of our success at Tag Rugby, with our pupils winning the National Championships in 2013 and being runners up in this year's finals. We are so excited that Rugby World Cup 2015 is visiting Brighton as it will be so inspirational for the whole school and will enable us to promote our school values through a worldwide sporting event.”
Rugby World Cup 2015 will take place from 18 September to 31 October 2015. Matches will take place in 13 different venues across 11 host cities in England and Wales, including at Brighton Community Stadium.
The matches taking place in Brighton & Hove are:
- South Africa v Japan, September 19, 2015, 4.45pm
- Samoa v USA, September 20, 2015, 12noon
On Friday 19 September, one year to the day before the first of the Brighton & Hove matches, the city’s historic and iconic Royal Pavilion will be the backdrop for the launch of this year long project counting down to the Tournament. The different groups will meet for the first time and have the chance to see the Webb Ellis Cup (the Trophy which will be awarded to the winner of the Rugby World Cup 2015). The Trophy is currently taking a break from the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour, which is visiting 15 countries as part of a celebration of Rugby in the build-up to the Tournament. In June next year the Webb Ellis Cup will start its 100 day tour around the UK and Ireland.
The council and Brighton & Hove Albion football club worked together on the successful bid which will see the city hosting Rugby World Cup 2015 matches.
Cllr Geoffrey Bowden, Chair of Economic Development and Culture Committee, said: “We are very proud to welcome all those involved with Rugby World Cup 2015 to Brighton & Hove. The excitement is already building in the run up to the Tournament and the matches taking place in September next year are set to be celebrated across the city. This is of huge value in terms of showcasing Brighton & Hove internationally and being part of such a strong sporting community. I encourage everyone to find out how to be part of the experience, whether by applying for tickets or visiting the Fanzone, a seafront celebration of Rugby running at the same time as the Brighton & Hove matches. ”
Up to one million tickets for the Brighton & Hove and all the other 46 matches are on general sale from 12 to 29 September 2014. People can apply at www.tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. Matches where demand exceeds demand will go into a ballot. Prices for the matches in Brighton start at £7 for children and £15 for adults
Find out more about the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour www.rugbyworldcup.com/destinationengland/trophy/index.html
Please note: The Cup can only be handled by security staff from Rugby World Cup 2015 and cannot be held by members of the public. It is a great photo opportunity as long as everyone knows to look and not touch!
Visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/rwc2015 or www.rugbyworldcup.com for further information