Manchester People -Autumn 2009 Issue 40

With a fantastic reputation for staging international sports events, Manchester is now well placed to host even more, after the Rugby Football Union's successful bid to host the 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup.

Last year's Manchester World Sport 08 campaign started the ball rolling with six major world events in the city, including three world championships, and in June this year England's rugby union side returned to play their first match here for 12 years, beating Argentina 37-15 at Old Trafford.

So local fans will be delighted by the recent announcement that the RFU has confirmed that World Cup matches will be played in the Manchester city region. As the world's third-largest sporting event, the Rug- by World Cup is the driving force be- hind the global development of rugby worldwide and attracts large numbers of visitors.

Matches will be played at Old Trafford, which joins other venues around the country, including Wembley and Twickenham in London.

The 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup will be a huge addition to Manchester's sporting calendar and forms an integral part of the UK's 'Decade of Sport', which, as well as seeing Olympic football come to the city, will hopefully culminate with the FIFA World Cup coming to Manchester in 2018.