RWC 2015 Hosted by England
The format of the Rugby World Cup will be the same one used for the 2011 world cup with 20 teams split into four pools and the draw for the pool stages will take place in 2012.
Host, holders and all nations finishing third or above in the pool stages of RWC 2011 have qualified automatically for RWC 2015, meaning that Argentina, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga and Wales are already assured of their places.
Tier 1 teams have committed to playing midweek matches, meaning there will be proper breaks between games for the Tier 2 and Tier 3 nations.
Francis Baron, RFU Chief Executive Officer
"The RFU, and every rugby fan in England, will be thrilled that we have been chosen to host RWC 2015. This is a fantastic addition to the UK's Decade of World Sport which started this year with the Cricket 20/20 World Cup and which continues in 2010 with the Women's Rugby World Cup, followed by the Olympics in 2012 and now the Rugby World Cup in 2015.
"We have made a commitment to the IRB Council to host the most successful tournament ever, building on the outstanding success of France 2007 and what we are sure will be a great tournament in New Zealand in 2011. We will not disappoint them. We will host a festival of rugby that will fill our iconic stadia with excited fans and deliver a global platform for the game. We can't wait to get going and would like to thank the IRB Council for giving us this honour."
IRB Podcast
Courtesy of the IRB
October 2011
Guardian Article - Paul Rees 10 October 2011:
A deal has been agreed that will save the 2015 World Cup, which is being held in England. The tournament had been under threat because the three major southern‑hemisphere unions all said they would not be able to afford to take part under the current financial formula.
New Zealand, Australia and South Africa say this World Cup will cost them a combined £25m in lost income, but an often stormy meeting here on Monday ended in agreement, with the chairmen and chief executives of the tier-one nations to review the way money from World Cups is distributed as well as relaxing restrictions on teams' sponsors.
The big breakthrough was an acceptance that the loss of income incurred by every tier-one country during World Cup years would be made good. The total turnover of the top eight will this year drop by £48m. The International Rugby Board will spend the next two months coming up with detailed proposals that will be put to its executive, or council, in December.
The chairmen and chief executives did not have the power to decide financial policy but as their unions make up the bulk of the votes on the IRB council an about-turn is unlikely. The meeting was called to discuss the timing of the 2015 event, which is scheduled to follow this year's model and take place in September and October.
There is a call to push it back a month because the southern‑hemisphere season will be extended, with the Tri-Nations expanded to four to include Argentina taking part from next year. The Rugby Football Union, as hosts, wanted a decision to be taken quickly because it wants to book up football stadiums.
The three southern‑hemisphere Sanzar unions said they would walk out of the meeting unless the agenda was widened to included the financial issue, on the grounds there was no point in talking about the timing of the 2015 World Cup until they were satisfied they would be able to take part in it.
The IRB chief executive, Mike Miller, was rebuked for his response to remarks made by New Zealand Rugby Union's chief executive, Steve Tew. Told that the All Blacks would be highly unlikely to able to afford to play in 2015 unless the financial model is changed, Miller said they would be replaceable. But both Australia and South Africa said they would stand behind New Zealand and wondered how Miller thought all three could be replaced, and pointed out that the IRB has already got more than £120m in reserve.
The IRB's executive is concerned that, as it makes 98% of its income from World Cups, any increased income for the top countries would come at the expense of the sum set aside for developing countries. Sanzar countered that Rugby World Cup should be looking to substantially increase its income by cashing in on rugby union's Olympic status, which has seen the current tournament make an impact in the Russian, Chinese and north American TV markets.
One area where the tier-two and tier‑three countries will be helped is in the scheduling for 2015. It was agreed that 20 teams will continue to take part and that top sides will share midweek duties, meaning the likes of Namibia, Georgia, Romania and Samoa will not have to play after just three or four days' rest.
The IRB said that the meeting also "endorsed the commitment to review the Rugby World Cup commercial model, revenue distribution and the 2015 start date as planned following the completion of the 2011 event.
"While the meeting was not a decision-making forum, key recommendations will be put forward to the IRB executive committee and/or the council for consideration."
The issue of financial distribution has dragged on for eight years, but by refusing to agree the timing of the 2015 World Cup, knowing that the RFU is desperate for a decision to be made so it can start planning for the event, the Sanzar unions have ensured that the process will be speeded up.
Their other priority, a change in the way the proceeds from Test matches are distributed, will take a little longer to resolve.
September 2011
Guardian Article - Paul Rees 27 September 2011:
The future of the Rugby World Cup will come under threat unless fundamental changes ensure leading nations do not lose millions in revenue at the 2015 tournament in England, according to the head of the New Zealand Rugby Union.
Steve Tew, the NZRU chief executive, has warned that competing at the World Cup has cost his union more than NZ$13m (£7m), a loss it could ill afford at a time when player costs were rising and the world economy was stagnating. Incoming tours are halted in a World Cup year and competing nations are not allowed to have any association with their sponsors for the duration of the tournament.
The International Rugby Board will by next May complete a review of how the World Cup is run. Tew said that unless changes were agreed, he feared his union, which is hosting this year's tournament, would not be able to afford to take part in the 2015 event.
"We think we are at a really important juncture," he said. "We want a couple of things taken very seriously around the IRB table. One is the money that flows through and out of Rugby World Cup. It is well publicised that the major unions lose a significant amount of money net by participating in the tournament and that makes absolutely no sense.
"We lose NZ$13.2m [£6.7m] worth of revenue after income from Rugby World Cup and costs are adjusted. It cannot carry on. We said at the last board conference that we needed a full review of the IRB's financial model, Rugby World Cup commercial rules and RWC money flows. We are waiting with some anxiety what the IRB are going to do about it.
"The IRB did put an extra £1m on the table for the major unions six months ago which helped and which was appreciated, but frankly the prospects of us going to England in 2015 under the current model are very slim. We cannot continue to sign on for an event that costs us so much money.
"We need to have serious discussions and some creative thinking to help us approach the next World Cup in a positive manner. I am not saying we will not be involved in 2015, but you either reform things through an evolutionary process or you plant a dag in the ground and say it's time to change."
One of Tew's complaints is that a union's sponsors are not allowed to have a mention during a World Cup because of potential conflicts with the tournament's backers, a rule drawn up because of the need to maximise profits and generate enough income to develop the game in nations below the top 10.
"The World Cup issues are multifaceted," said Tew, who said he was not advocating dipping into the pot reserved for the smaller countries. "The commercial rules for the tournament for participating unions are, we believe, far too tough, much tougher than Fifa's. If this was a soccer World Cup, the All Blacks' hotel would be decked out with our sponsors until Thursday (before a Saturday game). In a Rugby World Cup, our sponsors do not get a look-in. They are very excluded.
"All we want is what is best for world rugby. New Zealand and Australia tend to have to bang the table pretty hard at times to get people to listen. Our approach has always been to do things by negotiation and discussion and try to reach collaborative decisions, but ultimately you have to get something."
The IRB is anxious not to get involved in a public spat with one of its major unions. "The World Cup plays a critical role in the development and profile of rugby worldwide," a spokesman said. "It generates the revenues that are entirely reinvested and distributed by the board across our 117 member unions during the four-year cycle between tournaments to increase competitiveness and advance the strategic goal of implementing development plans in order that rugby can be a truly global sport.
"The current programme is £150m between 2009 and 2012 with approximately 50% of the revenues going to the tier-one nations. There are significant benefits for participation at rugby's showcase sport, including brand exposure to a broadcast audience in more than 200 countries worldwide.
"There are also huge benefits of hosting, ranging from stadia upgrades to participation increases. We will continue to work with our unions to ensure that the tournament continues to balance the strategic needs of our unions with the global development of the sport."
March 2011
England's Rugby Football Union have hired Ross Young as chief operating officer for England Rugby 2015, the body charged with delivering the World Cup
Ross will join ER2015 on 1 January 2012 from the International Rugby Board (IRB), the owners of Rugby World Cup.
In nearly nine years at the IRB, working within the Rugby World Cup Department, first as Commercial Operations Manager and latterly as General Manager, Young played a major role in the delivery of two Rugby World Cups in Australia 2003 and France 2007 and is currently committed to the delivery of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.
During this time Rugby's showcase tournament delivered a commercial programme which grew from £67m in 1999 to £120m in 2007 to generate record surpluses for the IRB to invest in the development of the Game.
Now one of the world's top three global sporting events, Rugby World Cup attendance reached 2.25m in 2007 and Young has overseen relations with organising committees, ticketing, brand management, tournament services and commercial operations during that time.
The appointment of Ross Young is the second executive hire for ER 2015 following the appointment of Paul Vaughan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in December 2010. Vaughan commented, "It will be great to have Ross on board for 2015 as he brings a wealth of Rugby World Cup operational experience from working on 2003, 2007 and now 2011."
"We have the challenge of delivering some big targets but the crucial part of the tournament will be to ensure that we deliver 48 matches across the whole tournament to the very highest standards.
"This will ensure that we meet both our financial and legacy aspirations and Ross will be key to helping us deliver the event to achieve our strategic goals."
Prior to RWCL, Ross spent four years at Harlequins where he was consecutively Stadium Manager, Operations Director and then General Manager.
Young added, "I am delighted to be joining ER 2015 at what is a hugely exciting time. The organisation has a very clear vision and direction and with Paul's leadership Rugby World Cup 2015 planning is well underway.
"I am looking forward to extending my association with one of the world's biggest sporting events and using my operational knowledge and experience to contribute to what promises to be an outstanding Rugby World Cup."
Young also spent 14 years with the Metropolitan Police and is currently living in New Zealand with his wife and three children working on the delivery of RWC 2011 and will repatriate after the conclusion of what will undoubtedly be another successful tournament.
December 2010:
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has appointed the first member of its executive leadership team for England Rugby 2015, the tournament organising company that will deliver the Rugby World Cup (RWC) in 2015 in England.
Paul Vaughan will become the new CEO of England Rugby 2015, effective 4 January 2011 and moves across from the RFU where he has been Business Operations Director for 10 years, during which time he grew the commercial revenues from GBP43m to GBP119m and played a major role in creating the commercial partnerships with Compass Group, Marriott Hotels and Virgin Health that underpin the new South Stand development.
He also had board responsibility for the ticketing strategy that has seen Twickenham Stadium regularly sold out and prior to the RFU he held executive roles at Whitbread plc and Octagon.
The role of CEO of England Rugby 2015 required a very specific range of skills given the need to deliver an outstanding tournament and maximise ticket income and it was that unique experience of commercial success in a the rugby market that let to Vaughan being chosen over and above the other candidates.
Vaughan will take up the role from January 2011 but will continue to fulfil his current role at the RFU to ensure an appropriate period of transition through to the middle of the year. The RFU is looking at how they will replace him and will announce its intentions for that early in 2011.
Martyn Thomas, Chairman of England Rugby 2015 and Chairman of the RFU Board, commented: "We cast the net wide and saw some impressive and highly experienced candidates but in the end we all agreed that Paul had a unique combination of experience in the rugby market, commercial expertise and leadership skills.
"Making the Rugby World Cup a success will require a positive and collaborative relationship with the IRB and with the RFU and it goes without saying Paul has those relationships already in place and has been closely involved in our planning so far so we are already well on our way to delivering an outstanding World Cup. We are very excited by the appointment and I believe Paul will be pivotal in the delivery of an outstanding Rugby World Cup."
With a little under five years to go until England hosts RWC 2015, the foundations for delivery of rugby’s showcase event are already under way with the RFU and Rugby World Cup Limited collaborating to develop the detailed strategic and master plans that will guide the delivery of RWC 2015 in England.
The Strategic Plan will ensure all legacies are realised and where possible exceeded, both in the UK and throughout Europe. It will also provide the focus for planning moving forward, while the master plan will deliver the framework for the delivery of the specific strategic goals.
Bernard Lapasset, Chairman of RWCL, commented: "Rugby World Cup Limited welcomes this key appointment which represents an important first step in the delivery of Rugby World Cup 2015. The successful delivery of the world’s third largest sporting event is founded on partnership, teamwork, vision and strong leadership. Paul certainly possesses all the necessary attributes as he is vastly experienced, has an excellent knowledge of the global Game, has a strong working relationship with the IRB and knows how to build successful marketing and ticketing strategies.
"We are looking forward to working in partnership with Paul and his England Rugby 2015 team to deliver an outstanding Rugby World Cup in 2015."
Paul Vaughan added: "It is a tremendous honour to be offered the opportunity to manage the delivery of RWC 2015 in England and one I accept with great relish. The RFU are the custodians of the tournament before handing it on to Japan in 2019 and I want to deliver a fantastic event for the game and a long term positive legacy for the RFU."
England Rugby 2015 is the wholly owned subsidiary of the RFU tasked with delivering RWC 2015 which will begin in September 2015 and lasts 7 weeks, with 48 of games played in over 10 iconic stadia including Twickenham and Wembley.
Rugby Ball Selection:
Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) has announced that Gilbert has been awarded the contract to supply balls to Rugby World Cup 2011 and Rugby World Cup 2015.
A world leader in match ball innovation and development in international Rugby for more than a century, the UK-based firm will supply the match, training and replica balls for Rugby's global showcase event.
"Gilbert is a brand that is synonymous with Rugby World Cup, having supplied balls for the tournament since 1995, and RWCL is delighted to be extending the relationship with a partner that has proven to be both a strong supporter of the tournament and the world leader in Rugby ball performance," said RWCL Chairman Bernard Lapasset.
2015 Rugby World Cup draw:
- Twickenham
- The Millennium Stadium
- Welford Road Stadium
- Wembley
- Old Trafford
- Kingsholm Stadium
- St James' Park
Cardiff will become the first city to be involved in four World Cups - 1991, 1999, 2007 (hosted four games) and 2015. Edinburgh, Toulouse and Paris all hosted games in 1991, 1991 and 2007.