RWC 500 Days launch in Exeter

Exeter Chiefs internationals Jack Nowell and Fetu'u Vainikolo team up with local school children and city representatives to reveal a giant calendar at Sandy Park today to mark 500 days to go to Rugby World Cup 2015.

The calendar revealed the date when tickets for all 48 matches, including three fixtures at Sandy Park, will go on sale to the general public: September 12, with the application window closing on September 29, 2014. From September 12, members of the public will be able to select the matches they want to attend across the country and in Cardiff, with any oversubscribed matches balloted.

In advance of the general sale, 500,000 tickets will go on sale to rugby fans this month through the Rugby Community Ticket Programme launched earlier this year. All clubs and RFU affiliated organisations in England will, from today, be able to register their nominated members to purchase tickets from May 16, 2014.

The programme gives clubs the opportunity to recognise and reward loyal fans who support the game week in week out in the host country for Rugby World Cup 2015.

Sandy Park hosts three Rugby World Cup 2015 fixtures:

September 29, 2015: Tonga v Africa 1, 16.45pm (Pool C)
October 7, 2015: Africa 1 v Georgia, 20.00pm (Pool C)
October 11, 2015: Italy v Romania, 14.30pm (Pool D)

Cllr Rosie Denham, Exeter City Council Lead Councillor for Economy and Culture, said: “It’s a very exciting day for Exeter and rugby fans across the South West. Our local clubs can now apply for tickets, rewarding loyal fans of the game. The local response for volunteers has been fantastic. We were oversubscribed and are looking forward to the Try Out sessions in July.

‘Rugby World Cup 2015 is a fantastic opportunity for Exeter, Devon and the South West to be part of one of the world’s biggest and best sporting occasions, here in the heartland of English rugby. Planning is well underway on everything from transport arrangements to the city centre fanzone. Today it feels as if the excitement is really starting to build.”

Tony Rowe OBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of Exeter Rugby Club, added: “Sandy Park is proud to be hosting Rugby World Cup 2015. This is an incredible opportunity for the whole region to get behind what is going to be a fabulous tournament viewed by millions of people around the world. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for fans, businesses, schools and communities to make 2015 a truly unforgettable year of rugby.”

Exeter City Council is working with Visit England and overseas travel agents to promote Exeter internationally for the three games at Sandy Park. In the summer, Exeter will find out if it is to officially host an international team for the duration of the tournament.

England Rugby 2015 today also announced details for the international Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour, celebrating rugby and taking the Webb Ellis Cup to 15 countries in the build-up to the Tournament.

The tour will be delivered in partnership with DHL and Land Rover and will depart for Japan on May 20, 2014 for the first leg of the tour. In addition to Japan, the route will include visits to Australia, Fiji, Madagascar, Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, China, USA, UAE, Italy, Germany, Romania, France before returning to England on 100 days to go (June 10, 2015) for a tour of the UK and Ireland.

As Tournament planning progresses at pace, the search to find the 6,000 volunteers to welcome the world to England and to rugby in 2015 is well underway with over 20,000 applications received to join ‘The Pack’. Try-Outs (selection events) will be held between June and December 2014 in every RWC 2015 Host City, with members of the ‘The Pack’ confirmed in January 2015.