England 2015 is on track to be the most widely watched, attended and engaged Rugby World Cup ever, according to Bernard Lapasset, chairman of World Rugby and Rugby World Cup Ltd. 

"With six months to go, Rugby World Cup 2015 is in record-breaking shape and we are confident of a very special event that will capture the imagination on and off the field,” he said. 

"Even before England and Fiji meet in the opening match on 18 September, England 2015 will have raised the bar on several fronts, reflecting a sport that continues to grow at record pace around the world and the exceptional standard of organisation and delivery across all partners.

"The event has captured the imagination like no other and demand for tickets has been unprecedented. From public sales to the official travel and hospitality programmes, we are anticipating record numbers as fans from around the world join those across the UK in celebrating rugby and friendship.”

In addition to tickets sold directly via the rugby world cup website, more than 170,000 tickets have been sold in 60 nations through official travel agents. This is 50 per cent more than the total sold for New Zealand 2011 and already close to France 2007’s tally of 184,000.

50,000 hospitality packages have been sold, as compared to 35,000 for the 2011 tournament.

In total, 500,000 of the 3 million tickets available are expected to be sold to overseas fans.

"Across 44 days and 48 matches the Rugby World Cup 2015 story will be told in more nations than ever before: audiences in 207 territories will be inspired by new broadcast, social and digital innovations, while a record family of commercial partners will also project rugby to new audiences,” said Lapasset.

The sponsorship programme has already broken records, with six worldwide partners signed faster and at a higher value than ever before.

The revenues will be welcomed by World Rugby, which is in the process of investing heavily in the growth of the sport worldwide. 

"All of this is great news for rugby worldwide as Rugby World Cup is the financial driving force behind the growth of the sport, underwriting £330 million of investment in rugby by 2016." 

The host nation also stands to benefit to the tune of GB£1bn, according to an economic impact study by EY, which is supplying financial services to the tournament. 

Lapasset praised the organising committee and the national governing body, the RFU for their achievements.

"A tournament of this scale and stature cannot be delivered without a shared vision and strong partnership and I would like to thank England Rugby 2015 and the RFU for their continued focus on ensuring a superb event on and off the field.”

The RFU is investing GB£10m community clubs and GB£1m into coaching and refereeing courses. The RFU is also aiming to attract 5,000 volunteers in England.

Tournament Director Alan Gilpin said: "Players are at the heart of Rugby World Cup 2015 and the facilities in stadia, at the training venues or team bases will be of an exceptional standard. They will have everything they need to perform to their potential on the world’s greatest rugby stage. 

"It will be the same for fans from the in-stadia experience to fan-zones, broadcast and social media and we look forward to welcoming everyone in joining us to celebrate what promises to be an unforgettable and very special Rugby World Cup."

The chief executive of England Rugby 2015 (ER2015), Debbie Jevans CBE, has resigned for “personal reasons”.

She has led the Rugby World Cup Organising Committee since October 2012, almost immediately following her role as head of sport at London 2012. 

“This is the right decision for me to make at this time. I am immensely proud of the team and all that we have achieved in the time that I have been Chief Executive” Jevans said in a statement.

“Everything is in place to ensure that this is the best Rugby World Cup ever, and I am confident my team will deliver an exceptional tournament. The organisation is strong, there is a great team in place and I am really looking forward to watching the Rugby World Cup as a fan later this year.”

The 2015 Rugby World Cup is on track to break records for attendance and revenues. All aspects of tournament preparations are on or ahead of schedule, with over 1.9 million tickets sold to date.

She leaves a highly experienced event delivery Executive team in place, which will now report to Stephen Brown as the new Managing Director, who will work alongside ER2015 Chairman Andy Cosslett.

“On behalf of the ER2015 Board I would like to extend our enormous appreciation for all that Debbie has brought to the role,” said Cosslett. “Her legacy will be seen during and after the tournament is delivered, with a sporting event that I fully believe will be both memorable and inspiring, creating a step change in interest and participation for the game in this country.”

World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said “On behalf of World Rugby I would like to thank Debbie for her vision, dedication and leadership in implementing everything we need for an exceptional Rugby World Cup and wish her all the best for the future.

“England 2015 is in record-breaking shape with a strong and experienced organising committee in place, all stakeholders fully behind a shared vision and tournament delivery tracking ahead of schedule. We are confident that Rugby World Cup 2015 will be the biggest and best to date.”

HOST CITY: You played a pivotal role in bringing Rugby Sevens into the Olympic Programme. How important was your role on the NOC in achieving this? What challenges did you face and how were they overcome?

Bernard Lapasset: Our successful bid was founded on a strong desire for the rugby family to be reunited with the Olympic family. We wanted to be a part of the Olympic Games because we share the same values as the Olympic movement and we felt that we had an exciting and compelling proposition for the Olympic Games with Rugby Sevens. 

We also believed in the great opportunity that Olympic Games inclusion would provide our sport – an opportunity that we are now very much realising s we reach out, engage and grow in new markets. Our successful bid was based on the merits of an exciting, youthful and dynamic sport and a family united behind the bid, rather than the influence of any individual. Excitement is growing and we have no doubt Rugby Sevens at Rio 2016 will be a spectacular and memorable event. 

HOST CITY: You also played a central role in bringing the 2007 Rugby World Cup to France. Do you have any advice for countries contemplating bidding for World Rugby events?

Bernard Lapasset: Rugby World Cup is one of the world’s most prestigious and popular major sports events and a major driving force behind the development and prosperity of Rugby worldwide. As a low-risk, high-return event, Rugby World Cup is an attractive proposition for prospective host nations. 

It delivers multiple economic, tourism and social benefits, while using existing infrastructure. We are yet to formally launch the Rugby World Cup 2023 tender process, but we are already seeing great interest from nations who want to host the event, which underscores the strength of the Rugby World Cup brand in the global marketplace. We are also seeing great hosting interest in our major men’s and women’s Rugby Sevens properties and are looking forward to new host locations being introduced to our own record-breaking World Series in 2015/16. 

In terms of specific advice, Rugby is a sport of teamwork and across all World Rugby events partnership in delivery is key. A strong partnership between government, the host union and World Rugby is vital to successful delivery.  I would also say, plan early, the legacy opportunity begins the moment the rights are awarded and delivering sustainable growth is central to maximising the hosting opportunity.

HOST CITY: England and Japan are very different hosts, for 2015 and 2019. What do you expect these host nations to bring to the sport?

Bernard Lapasset: Both events provide us with exciting opportunities to cement Rugby as a major global sport, but for very different reasons. England 2015 will be a box-office hit, a record-breaker in terms of attendance, viewership, engagement and commercial income. It will be the financial driving force behind our ambition to reach participation levels of over 9 million in the next five years. Japan 2019 will underscore our commitment to grow rugby outside of its traditional heartlands, it will, and already is, opening opportunities in Asia to inspire participation and attract new audiences and partners.

HOST CITY: How significant is the rebrand of IRB to World Rugby in terms of the globalisation of the sport?

Bernard Lapasset: The name change and rebrand reflects our clear mission to grow the global family and is a statement of intent that we are not just an organisation that regulates and funds the sport, but one that also inspires and is inclusive. Through this rebrand we have been able to build a stronger connection with existing audiences – those who know and love the sport – while also reaching out, attracting and engaging new audiences worldwide. 

The rebrand included a new digital and social media approach and what we are seeing is an appetite from fans to engage with us in a different way – they feel part of World Rugby and they want to be a part of our journey. That is really exciting.

HOST CITY: Major sports federations are under intense scrutiny from the media. How important are integrity and fair play in upholding the value of a sport, and how do you see this being achieved in World Rugby?

Bernard Lapasset: We are a sport that is centred around character-building values – values of respect, integrity, discipline, passion and solidarity. Whether it is attracting new young players to the sport, respect for the referee and your opponents or maintaining a level playing field through robust anti-doping and anti-corruption education, everything that we do is geared towards educating the next generation on our unique values and how to live, promote and preserve them.

VINCI Stadium has been appointed to manage the former Olympic Stadium at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for a 25 year period, starting before the England 2015 Rugby World Cup. 

The deal with London is VINCI’s first stadium contract outside France. 

The contract was awarded by E20, a joint venture between the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council. 

“The E20 Stadium LLP awarded the contract to run the former Olympic Stadium to VINCI Stadium in recognition of VINCI's expertise and the business model it has developed for the operation of multi-purpose arenas, including the Stade de France,” said Pierre Coppey, Chief Operating Officer of VINCI.

“In addition to broadening the range of events offered at this amazing venue, VINCI Stadium will work with the E20 Stadium Partnership to develop and revitalise East London for the benefit of citizens.”

The venue, designed by Populous in a modular way that enables it to be repurposed for legacy use, is currently being transformed into a multi-use stadium. 

“This marks another step forward in the long-term future of the Stadium. VINCI have a great track record and a wealth of experience in managing world-class venues,” said David Goldstone, chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation. 

“We are looking forward to working with them and delivering a multi-use stadium capable of hosting a range of different sports and events, including this autumn’s Rugby World Cup.”

The stadium will host five matches of Rugby World Cup 2015, starting with France vs. Romania on 23 September and ending with the bronze final match on 30 October.

The venue will not fully reopen until 2016. Premier League football club West Ham United are to take up tenancy of the stadium, which will also act as the national competition venue for UK Athletics.

VINCI Stadium currently operates a network of stadia in France including the Stade de France in Paris, the Allianz Riviera in Nice, the New Bordeaux Stadium and the MMArena in Le Mans. 

The Olympic stadium is currently being transformed into a multi-use venue. It will host five matches of Rugby World Cup 2015 before fully re-opening in 2016 when it will become the home of West Ham United.

“Managing the basic day-to-day operations at a Premier League football stadium is a unique challenge, so we will be passing on our extensive experience and expertise to Vinci to ensure they provide the same high levels of service our supporters have become accustomed to at the Boleyn Ground,” said Karren Brady, vice-chairman of West Ham United.

“While Vinci will manage the functional aspects of the matchday operation, we will still be overseeing the overall supporter experience to make sure watching West Ham remains one of the very best days out in the Premier League.”

The stadium will also be the national competition venue for UK Athletics and will be the venue for the IAAF 2017 World Athletics Championships and 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships.

"The Olympic Stadium will be the new home of British Athletics, staging a wide range of events from mass participation runs to elite track and field meetings,” said Ed Warner, chairman of UK Athletics and London 2017.

“We look forward to working closely with VINCI to deliver all of these events, and in particular the twin World Championships in the summer of 2017, in London's most iconic sporting venue."

As well as running the stadium, VINCI will manage the London Marathon Charitable Trust Community Track and events on the south park lawn, below the ArcelorMittal Orbit. 

They will also work with the E20 Stadium Partnership to promote sport and healthy living in the local area and deliver mass participation events such as the Great Newham London Run.

“This is more good news in our goal to deliver a long-lasting legacy from London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Boris Johnson, mayor of London.

“VINCI is a world-class operator and set to be a key partner in the creation of a spectacular stadium offering a dynamic range of sport and attractions for Londoners to enjoy.”

5,500 tonnes of steel and 6km of cabling are being used in the transformation of the stadium. The 14 floodlight panels were removed to make way for the new roof. 

During renovation, the existing running track is being protected by a 75cm deep mat of recycled concrete.

The rebuilt Olympic Stadium will include 21,000 retractable seats, which are said to allow closer pitch-side viewing during football matches while allowing the running track to remain in place.

Full capacity will be 54,000 seats in football mode, 60,000 in athletics and 80,000 for concerts.

Alongside the main stadium, a new floodlit 400m community athletics track, funded by the London Marathon Charitable Trust will be built for use by the local community, schools and will host a resident athletics club – the Newham & Essex Beagles. 

Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said “We look forward to working with VINCI to ensure the Stadium is a world class visitor attraction that delivers job opportunities, community benefits and increased sports participation that transforms the lives of those living in London’s East End, but especially the residents of Newham.”

The IOC announced on Tuesday that, as part of its Agenda 2020 recommendations, all organisations belonging to the Olympic Movement should “accept and comply with the Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance of the Olympic and Sports Movement.”

At the IRB World Rugby Confex in London on Tuesday, HOST CITY asked IOC vice president Sir Craig Reedie about the feasibility of such a wide-reaching project. 

“The reason why the IOC tries to impose on every stakeholder in the Olympic movement the Principles of Good Governance is that sport has a constant demand to be autonomous. It wants to be left alone to run its own rules, and the only way that it will ever be able to maintain the request for autonomy is to have good governance,” Reedie explained. 

“International Federations are effectively independent contractors, and nobody is suggesting for a minute that you would make that a condition of being a sport in the programme of the Games, but as a matter of relatively easy conviction it is not difficult to persuade an International Federation that they should have the same principles as the IOC has. We would anticipate and hope that International Federations would follow that.”

Agenda 2020 recommends that organisations should be responsible for self-evaluation and sending information through to the IOC. 

Asked by HOST CITY if this might create prohibitive administrative costs, Susan Ahern, head of legal and legislative affairs at World Rugby said, “Not expensive if you are used to running your organisation in a fair, balanced and transparent way. 

“The IRB may be an International Federation but we have a corporate structure that supports that – you are bound by company law, audits and so on. We have all those elements in place that any corporate would.”

Agenda 2020 recommends that the Principles of Good Governance should be “updated periodically, emphasising the necessity for transparency, integrity and opposition to any form of corruption.”

Ahern said “Certainly it’s an area where you want to continually strive to be as good as you can be, and it’s an area that’s being looked at by the IRB on a constant basis.”

The Rugby Sevens tournament at Glasgow 2014 was named best Rugby event of 2014 by industry experts on Wednesday at Rugby Expo 2014. 

The event beat off competition from the Women’s Rugby World Cup in August, hosted by France and the Super League Magic Weekend in May which featured seven matches and 14 elite teams competing at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester.

“Rugby Sevens as a sport was born in Scotland, so it’s really wonderful to see Glasgow and Scotland’s Commonwealth Games showcase for the sport recognised as the top rugby event this year,” said David Grevemberg, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2014. 

Glasgow’s two-day extravaganza at Ibrox stadium saw 16 of the world’s top Rugby Sevens sides battle it out for Commonwealth Gold in front of 171,000 people – a new global record tournament audience for the sport.

Around 192 athletes contested 45 matches over two days of fierce competition which saw South Africa clinch Gold for the first time in Commonwealth Games history, beating New Zealand, winners of every previous Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens Gold medal since the sport was introduced to the Games in 1998.

“The two days of Rugby Sevens at Ibrox were remarkable and memorable not just for the incredible sport but also for the sheer energy and enthusiasm generated by the crowds. We’re really proud to have played our part in sharing Rugby Sevens with new audiences,” said Grevemberg. 

“This award is for the amazing athletes and the wonderful crowds which supported them as well as the world-beating experience of Rugby Seven they all helped create at Glasgow 2014.”

Rugby Expo 2014 is an important gathering for the industry which is supported by leading bodies including Premiership Rugby, RFU, SRU, WRU, Pro12 and Championship. 

David Grevemberg, who is also the CEO designate of the Commonwealth Games Federation, is speaking at HOST CITY Bid to Win conference on 28th October about “Winning for the Future” alongside city event leaders from Beijing, Barcelona and Istanbul.

The International Rugby Board, which has governed Rugby Union under that name since 1886, is to be known as World Rugby from 19 November as part of a rebrand that underlines the organisation’s commitment to global inclusivity. 

The rebrand is linked to the governing body's stated mission “to build a stronger connection with fans, players and new audiences worldwide.”

"In a crowded global entertainment and sporting marketplace, the role of the IRB has evolved from Game regulator to Game inspirer," said IRB Chief Executive Brett Gosper.

"With this we must continue to appeal to those who know and love the sport and its heritage, while attracting, engaging and inspiring those who have no connection with the sport across multiple cultures and languages around the world.

"World Rugby collectively has the ingredients and tools to do just that. Rugby’s global appeal is founded and positioned on its unique character-building values and inclusive ethos and we want everyone to feel connected with the sport and Rugby’s ongoing success story." 

Further details of the new brand, including the new logo, will be revealed at the IRB World Rugby Conference and Exhibition, which takes place in London on November 17-18. 

"This move is more than just a name change, it is a mission statement,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset. 

"Rugby continues to thrive, reach out and engage new audiences and participants in record numbers and the IRB has been at the heart of that growth. We are committed to furthering that growth beyond our traditional family and fan base with a public that expects to be entertained, informed and interacted with.”

Worldwide participation in rugby is has tripled to reach 6.6 million players over the past four years. The IRB cites the Rugby World Cup and the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympic Games as contributing factors, coupled with development strategies and record investment.

The rebrand also opens the opportunity for launching new event properties. "World Rugby clearly aligns our name with our mission and allows us to organise new and existing consumer facing properties in a way that they will be more impactful and more appealing to the sport's growing global fan base," said Lapasset. 

The branding and positioning of Rugby World Cup 2015 will remain unchanged. 

To read an exclusive interview with IRB / World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper, register to receive the next issue of HOST CITY magazine for free. 

To register for the 2014 World Rugby Conference and Exhibition at the Hilton Metropole, London, visit www.irb.com/confex

SIS Pitches has received an order to install a new indoor rugby training pitch for England Rugby Union. 

The facility at the prestigious Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey, UK is the official training base for the England Rugby Union senior team, who first used the facilities in the run up to the Rugby World Cup in 2003. 

Pennyhill Park is located just 40 minutes from the national stadium at Twickenham. The squad is residing and training at the hotel before all international fixtures for the next four years. 

The new pitch will use the SIS Rugger surfacing system that SIS Pitches installed at Allianz Park, home of Saracens Rugby Club in 2013. Other installations include Newcastle Falcons and Durham University. 

The installation at Pennyhill includes the base layer, shockpad and surface and is due to commence in June 2014.

According to SIS Pitches, SIS Rugger has proven durability and long lasting playing characteristics even after intensive use, and is easier to maintain than traditional fibrillated surfaces.

“The contract was won despite keen interest from other suppliers and we are delighted to have been selected for this prestigious project,” said Steve Spaven, Director of Sales at SIS Pitches.

Manchester City Football Club announced on Monday that ground engineering work on the Etihad Stadium is to begin immediately, with Laing O’Rourke as the construction partner. 

The stadium, owned by Manchester City Council, was originally designed with 41,000 seats for the 2002 Commonwealth Games by ArupSport and built by Laing Construction. After the Games, the athletics track was removed and the seating reconfigured to 48,000 capacity for its tenants, Manchester City Football Club. 

The stadium has been redesigned by sport architecture specialists Populous. The phase of expansion that begins on the South Stand this week will see capacity rise to 54,000 by the summer of 2015.

After hosting matches in the Rugby World Cup, which takes place from 18 September to 31 October 2015, the venue’s North Stand is scheduled for expansion to bring total capacity to 60,000.

“Manchester City Football Club strives to provide its supporters and visiting fans with one of the best possible matchday experiences in the Premier League and European football,” said Tom Glick, Chief Commercial Officer for Manchester City FC. “The success of this is demonstrated by games being sold out and rising demand from supporters for more season tickets, matchday tickets and premium seating.

“Expanding the stadium allows us to grow that offering as we constantly work towards excellence for every supporter that visits the Etihad Stadium.”

Minimal disruption

Realising these ambitious plans through a packed event schedule will be a major challenge. "Our brief from MCFC sought to minimise disruption to supporters during the construction phase of the project," said Mike Trice, project director at Populous, the architectural firm overseeing the expansion. "Early engagement with Laing O'Rourke as MCFC's construction partner has allowed us to develop our strategy to limit disturbance to the fans and the ongoing stadium operation.

"Construction of the upper tier requires new columns to run through the existing structure and concourse areas.  The precise location of these columns was balanced against the size of plant that would be required to sink the foundation piles. Laing were able to quickly evaluate the space and program requirements and the availability of plant whilst we considered the spatial and layout implications.  Through coordination with Laing we have been able to use the same columns to provide temporary support for the existing roof, this will allow it to be kept in place whist the works proceed behind the scenes."

Laing O’Rourke, like Populous, worked on a number of venues for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Steve Coleby, Leader for Laing O’Rourke’s Construction UK business said: “Our team is known for delivering logistically complex engineering work, combining expertise from across the Laing O’Rourke Group and our specialist businesses.

“This, along with our use of the latest digital engineering technologies, will help us to deliver efficiently with minimal disruption during match days, concerts and other events hosted throughout the year.”

The bidding process for the 2023 Rugby World Cup has yet to be announced but several countries have already expressed an interest, with key figures in Ireland and Argentina speaking out on the subject over the course of the week. 

Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport said in an interview with Newstalk that hosting the World Cup would be an achievable target for Ireland, with “at least 50/50” chance of winning a bid.

“It’s probably the biggest thing that Ireland can do, as a small country. You could never really have the Olympics in Dublin; we wouldn’t be able to do the Euros, but we could do the Rugby World Cup.

“New Zealand, which has inferior infrastructure, fewer people and is further away from the big rugby markets did really well.”

Varadkar also stressed that an Irish Rugby World Cup would be a profitable one. “There is a cost of upgrading some of the stadiums… and you do have to pay the IRB a big fee to host it – somewhere in the region of EUR 120m. If we can get more people than came to New Zealand then we can bring in the region of EUR 200m in tax revenues.”

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has not yet set its fees and the bid process is not expected to be launched until later in the year. Nonetheless, countries are positioning themselves early to bid for the event. 

Argentina’s IRB Council Representative Agustin Pichot confirmed in December 2013 that his country would bid for the 2023 event. England player Paul Tait is another longstanding proponent of an Argentinian Rugby World Cup as a way of internationalising the sport.

“With growth comes progress and for international rugby this has seen an increased awareness outside of the traditional strongholds,” Tait wrote on his blog this week. “The landscape will continue to evolve and having Argentina host Rugby World Cup 2023 would contribute to this by directly rewarding excellence and encouraging progress.”

Recent editions of the Rugby World Cup have loosely alternated between Southern and Northern hemispheres. The 2023 edition will follow two northern editions: England 2015 and Japan 2019. 

Whether the IRB will consider a FIFA-style continental rotation policy remains to be seen. The Rugby World Cup is the IRB’s main breadwinner, accounting for more than 90 per cent of revenues. 

And with the IRB investing more than £330m worldwide between 2009 and 2016, a solid financial return from the World Cup will be seen as a major priority to enable the development of the sport internationally – wherever the event is hosted.

Other nations interested in hosting the 2023 World Cup include South Africa, France, Australia and Italy. 

"Enormous prestige"

Speaking to HOST CITY from the IRB’s Dublin headquarters, head of communications Dominic Rumbles said “We are delighted that there is such a strong level of initial interest in hosting Rugby World Cup 2023.”

“To see such interest before the tender process has been launched further underscores the enormous prestige of the Rugby World Cup brand in the global marketplace.”

Explaining why there is such interest, he said: “Increasingly, governments and local agencies are seeing the event as a strong economic, trade, tourism, profile and feel-good platform and a means to inspire young people to get active, which is great.”

This view is backed up by Varadkar. “The most important thing from a government point of view is participation,” he said.

“More people are participating in sport than in the past – it’s around 47 per cent now, which is a big improvement. There are health benefits, psychological benefits and there are social benefits, and that’s why governments get involved in sports.”

Speaking to delegates at a Bandon Rugby Football Club event on Thursday, MEP Sean Kelly said a Rugby World Cup bid is “an opportunity for Ireland and we should do all we can to seize it.

“It could be a hugely historical all-island event, with massive economic and tourism benefits.”

The former president of the Gaelic Athletic Association emphasised the strength of the country’s infrastructure – a key consideration in evaluating bids for major sports events. 

“Ireland has excellent sporting facilities and proven ability to successfully host major sporting events, such as the Special Olympics,” said Kelly. 

“Ireland could easily accommodate the 377,000 or more visitors that the Rugby World Cup would bring to the country.”