On 21st March 1985 the International Rugby Board held their annual meeting at the French Railways HQ in Paris. Each member had a single vote and the motion was carried 6 to 2. The first Rugby World Cup (RWC) would be staged jointly by Australia and New Zealand from 22nd May to 20th June 1987. The RWC has subsequently occurred every four years from this date.
Between 18th September and 31st October 2015 the RWC will once again be hosted in the UK at stadiums around the country. Foremost is Twickenham, the home of English rugby, but also including the Olympic Stadium, the Millennium Stadium and the newest of them all Brighton Community Stadium (informally known as the Amex).
So, how have our stadiums faired through time?
The Amex
Prior to construction in 2008 the site was home to the Westlain Plantation, a woodland site which forms a conspicuous part of the boundary of the built-up area of Moulsecoombe, a north eastern suburb of Brighton. The Westlain Belt as it is known today is part of a “galaxy” of Stanmer woods. A Laine was the name given in Sussex to a medieval ‘open field’ and Belt is a modern word for a thin strip of woodland. It has been suggested that the name ‘Westlain Belt’ indicates that the wood is of modern origin and was planted next to medieval open, cultivated fields.
The Millennium Stadium
Since opening in 1999, the Millennium Stadium has welcomed around 1.3 million visitors per year, including spectators from matches of two Rugby World Cups, including the final in 1999 hosted two Wales Grand Slam successes in the RBS Six Nations, staged 6 FA Cup Finals, plus a plethora of major concerts and motorsports events. However, the area has not always been so happy. The south of the stadium was once a district known as Temperance Town, an area near the centre of Cardiff built in the 1860s. Cardiff was rapidly expanding as a port specialising in the export of coal.
The land was leased to Jacob Matthews who authorised the tipping of huge quantities of rubbish onto the land, streets were laid out, and a new suburb created. However, this was short lived and Temperance Town was demolished in 1937 when there was a rapid shift from coal to oil.
The Olympic Stadium
“Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is at the heart of a new east London — one where diversity and cultural vibrancy meet economic growth and the city’s newest, cleanest and most sustainable communities”. But, it hasn’t always been this way. The Park was once home to ‘Fridge Mountain’, a 20-foot tall collection of discarded white goods; tar distilleries, oil refineries, chemical works, fertiliser works, and metal works to name a few. This heavily contaminated site transformed into a world stage which oversaw Britain take home 29 gold medals, 17 silver and 19 bronze.
Twickenham
In 1906 sportsman and property entrepreneur William Williams was tasked by the Rugby Football Union to find a home ground for the England game. He located a somewhat dubious ground dubbed “‘Billy Williams’ Cabbage Patch”. Despite huge difficulties, the ground opened its doors on the 9th October 1909 to witness Harlequins beat Richmond 14-10. Over 100 years on, Twickenham Stadium is the largest dedicated rugby union venue in the world and for the second time will host many of the RWC 2015 games. Have you got your tickets yet?
The ballot for Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets opened on 12th September and will close on 29th September 2014. Get yours at www.rugbyworldcup.com.
References
Westlain Belt, A Monument to Beech – Management Plan 2011
