The Best Seat in the House
Coventry City | Ricoh Arena
Rugby World Cup bound for the Ricoh!
The Rugby World Cup is coming to Coventry’s Ricoh Arena.
The £113 million international complex has been selected as a venue at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
England was announced in Dublin in July by the International Rugby Board to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup after beating off competition from South Africa and Italy.
The Ricoh Arena is among ten venues which will host the pool matches in September 2015 while the semi-finals and final will be held at Twickenham.
Daniel Gidney, chief executive of the Ricoh Arena, said he was delighted the 32,000 seater stadium would be staging World Cup pool games for the first time.
“This is yet another first for the Ricoh Arena,” he said. “We’re scaling new heights to bring the Rugby World Cup to Coventry in 2015.
“The Rugby World Cup is the third largest sporting event after the Olympics and the football World Cup.
“This proves just how far the Ricoh has come in a short space of time and we’re delighted to be a full partner of the RFU when we host pool games.
“It is expected to be a record-breaking tournament in terms of revenue and spectators and this will be extremely exciting for everyone living in the region as well as provide a major boost to the local economy.
“We were approached by the RFU to be part of its bidding team because we have proved ourselves as a fabulous venue for rugby when we have staged high-profile Heineken Cup and EDF Energy Cup matches including three semi-finals.
“We have had nothing but good feedback from tournament organisers, clubs and supporters after the games we have held here and this is a signal that we are a venue of international standing be it for sport, entertainment, business or leisure.”
Northampton Saints have visited the Ricoh Arena in the Heineken Cup, losing to London Wasps in 2007, and being defeated by eventual winners Cardiff Blues in the semi-final of the EDF Energy Cup in March.
Allan Robson, Northampton Saints chief executive, said: “We have become very familiar with the Ricoh Arena in the past few years thanks to our games there in the Heineken Cup and Anglo-Welsh Cup.
“On every occasion we have had an excellent time, regardless of what has happened on the field. That is because the Ricoh is a tremendous stadium that lends itself to the generation of a great atmosphere, and with its proximity to the M6 and off-field facilities the stadium is very fan friendly as well.”
Leader of Coventry City Council, Cllr Ken Taylor, said: “This is great news for the country and for our great city. The Ricoh is certainly proving its credentials and I am delighted that we will be welcoming world rugby to what is truly a world class venue.
“Competitions like this always create a real buzz and I hope everyone feels as proud as I do that Coventry will be at the heart of things. Clearly there will also be economic benefits for the city too – so it’s great news for everyone living or working here.”
Premier Club Advertisers
More Than Just A Seat At The Game
