England Rugby 2015, the organising body for the IRB Rugby World Cup 2015, has announced its testing programme in preparation for the national team rugby union tournament.
Two test events – England v Samoa at Twickenham on Saturday, November 22 this year and Northampton Saints v Saracens at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes on April 25, 2015 – are currently slated with at least two further testing fixtures set to be confirmed over the coming months.
Given the majority of the 13 Rugby World Cup venues have previously hosted rugby matches or comparable events, England Rugby 2015 stated that a limited amount of in-venue testing and observation is required. Key elements such as transport, spectator experience, security and catering will be examined in line with preparations for previous Rugby World Cups.
England Rugby 2015 chief executive Debbie Jevans said: “For the past year we have been working to put the plans in place for the delivery of the tournament in 2015. Now as we move into the delivery phase it is important that we stress test all of our assumptions and plans to ensure that we are prepared when we deliver the tournament in 2015. Throughout the testing programme we will be working with a number of stakeholders who are essential to our delivery plans as we work to ensure the best possible experience for teams and spectators.”
The England 2015 Rugby World Cup will run from September 18 to October 31.
