Venues
After the decision by the IRB on 28 July 2009, the proposed stadiums for the tournament were revealed. Eleven stadiums in England and possibly one in Wales were chosen. Only two of the stadiums (Welford Road and Kingsholm Stadium) are dedicated club rugby union grounds; two are national rugby stadiums (Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium); and the remainder are association football grounds.
Under the initial proposal, all stadiums will host pool games. Twickenham will host the final, both semi-finals and one quarter-final. The Millennium Stadium will host two quarter-finals. Wembley will host one quarter-final. The Emirates Stadium will host the bronze medal match.
The first venue officially announced was Millennium Stadium, which was endorsed by the IRB on 24 May 2011. The RFU had proposed the stadium because of its size and strategic location close to major rugby hotbeds in England's West Country, a view with which the IRB ultimately agreed. As for the remaining venues, the RFU have stated that they won't be deciding the exact stadiums until the beginning of 2012, and these will have to be fixed in place by 2013. The long list of venues selected on 8 October 2012 by ER 2015 and approved by the RWCL Board is as follows: Villa Park, Birmingham; Falmer Stadium, Brighton; Ashton Gate, Bristol; Millennium Stadium, Cardiff; Coventry Stadium, Coventry; Pride Park, Derby; Kingsholm, Gloucester; Elland Road, Leeds; Leicester City Stadium, Leicester; Olympic Stadium, London; Twickenham Stadium, London; Wembley Stadium, London; Old Trafford, Manchester; Stadium mk, Milton Keynes; St James' Park, Newcastle; St Mary's Stadium, Southampton; Stadium of Light, Sunderland.
| London | London | London | Manchester | Cardiff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twickenham | Wembley Stadium | Olympic Stadium | Old Trafford | Millennium Stadium |
| Capacity: 82,000 | Capacity: 90,000 | Capacity: 80,000 | Capacity: 75,765 | Capacity: 74,500 |
| Newcastle |
Olympic Stadium
Twickenham
Villa Park
Falmer Stadium
Ashton Gate Stadium
Millennium Stadium
Coventry Stadium
Pride Park
Kingsholm Stadium
Elland Road
Leicester City
Old Trafford
Stadium mk
St James' Park
St Mary's Stadium
Stadium of Light
|
Sunderland | ||
| St James' Park | Stadium of Light | |||
| Capacity: 52,387 | Capacity: 49,000 | |||
| Birmingham | Coventry | |||
| Villa Park | Coventry Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 42,788 | Capacity: 32,609 | |||
| Leeds | Leicester | |||
| Elland Road | Leicester City Stadium | |||
| Capacity: 37,900 | Capacity: 32,262 | |||
| Southampton | Milton Keynes | |||
| St Mary's Stadium | Stadium MK | |||
| Capacity: 32,689 | Expansion to 32,000 | |||
| Brighton | Bristol | Derby | Gloucester | |
| Falmer Stadium | Ashton Gate Stadium | Pride Park Stadium | Kingsholm Stadium | |
| Capacity: 30,750 | Capacity: 21,497 | Capacity: 33,597 | Capacity: 16,500 | |
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