Is your family a rugby-loving one while you prefer the experience of travel? If the answer is yes, then why not use the 2015 Rugby World Cup as an excuse to get the best of both worlds and do a tour of the UK? Thousands of footie fans made the trek to Brazil this summer to be a part of the FIFA World Cup – even if they could only watch the different matches on big screens away from the various stadiums and locations – so could you do a similar thing in the UK next year. Of course, it’s not the UK that’s hosting the 2015 World Cup; it’s England, but while you’re in England, you’re within easy reach of Scotland, Ireland and Wales too.

The Rugby Union World Cup takes place every three years and on 18 September 2015, the opening match will be played in England’s home of rugby union, Twickenham Stadium. In all, 10 games will be played at Twickenham, including the final on 31 October. However, of the 13 venues across the UK, only two rugby clubs – Exeter and Gloucester – are included. The London Olympic Stadium will host five matches and the other games will be played in eight different football stadiums.

The venues are Twickenham, the Olympic Stadium, the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, Wembley Stadium in London, Manchester City Stadium, Brighton Community Stadium, Elland Road in Leeds, Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester, Leicester City Stadium, Sandy Park in Exeter, St James’ Park in Newcastle, Stadiummk (known locally as Denbigh Stadium) in Milton Keynes, and Villa Park in Birmingham. With the venues spread far and wide across the UK, there’s plenty of opportunities to see some of England’s finest attractions away from the rugby field.

The last Rugby World Cup in 2011 was won by host nation New Zealand, the favourite to win next year’s World Cup with Betfair at a price of around 6/4. However, the host-nation England are currently second favourites for the Webb Ellis Cup at 3/1 and they are closely followed by South Africa at 4/1, so there are a number of teams that could go close next year.

There’s no guarantee, of course, that you’ll be able to get a ticket to any of the matches, but the English rugby union governing body – the RFU (The Rugby Football Union) does at least have a fair system for apportioning out the tickets. Between 12 September and 29 September 2014, anyone can apply for tickets via the official ticketing website. Like the ticketing system for the London Olympics, these tickets won’t be sold on a first come, first served basis, so whether you register your interest today or on the very last day on 29 September, you have an equal chance of being allocated a ticket.

And, if you want to ensure that you don’t spend more money than you’re planning to, there’s a Match Manager tool which allows you to place a spending cap. You can also judge how popular a particular match is by looking at the traffic light coding which shows the kinds of numbers of people applying for a certain match, therefore, the chances of you being successful with your application. The English rugby club network also had 500,000 tickets allocated in May, with the objective of giving the most loyal supporters a chance to secure a ticket ahead of the rest of us.

So what should you make sure you see while you’re in England for the Rugby World Cup? We’ve listed some must-see attractions within easy reach of the different World Cup venues.

  1. Twickenham
    While the stadium itself draws plenty of tourists year round, obviously you’re on the outskirts of London and all the cultural attractions it has on offer. However, head away from central London and you’ll arrive at Hampton Court Palace in no time. Although the palace predated him, it’s King Henry VIII who is most often associated with the palace. Explore the palace inside and out and find out about the place in which Henry VIII spent most of the second half of his reign.
  1. The Olympic Stadium
    From the Olympic Stadium you’re within easy access of many of central London attractions including iconic buildings such as the Natural History Museum, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. Take a ride on the London Eye and drink in views of the city.
  1. The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
    If you like Doctor Who as much as rugby aim to get tickets for the game in the Millennium Stadium, then head to the Doctor Who Experience at the new BBC Wales Studios, which also plays host to the filming of the Hospital drama, Casualty.
  1. Brighton Community Stadium
    Brighton has plenty to offer its visitors, including exploring the boutiques and hippy shops along the Lanes, a maze of little streets filled with shops and cafes. Then, of course, you can catch some autumn sunshine on Brighton Beach.
  1. Elland Road, Leeds
    Leeds has plenty of attractions for tourists, but it’s also only a short distance to historic York, where one of the highlights has to be the Jorvik Viking Centre where you can not only see Viking pottery, tools and the outlines of houses that have been unearthed during archaeological digs, but also get to talk to some pretty informative guides about Viking life in York and the surrounding area.
by JohnSeb

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  1. Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester
    Near to Gloucester you’ll be in Laurie Lee country, and you can explore Slad, the home village of one of England’s most famous writers and poets, Laurence Edward Alan “Laurie” Lee, who was honoured with an MBE during his illustrious life.
  1. Leicester City Stadium
    Just outside of Leicester, you’ll find the National Space Centre. There are six galleries of exhibits and plenty of visitor activities to get involved in. There’s also a cinema and planetarium, so there is little chance of running out of things to see and do there.
  1. Sandy Park, Exeter
    If you’re in Exeter, it’s not far to go and explore the joys of the beautiful Cornish coast. There are beautiful beaches in every direction and traditional seaside towns like St Ives and Padstow.
  2. St James’ Park, Newcastle
    There are two pretty spectacular landmarks in Newcastle. There’s the Angel of the North statue which was completed in 1998 and stands 20 m high, with a wing span of 55 m. Then there’s the Gateshead Millennium Bridge that spans the River Tyne and was dedicated by the Queen in 2002, a year after construction was completed.
  3. StadiumMK, Milton Keynes
    Visit one of England’s 1960s new towns where as well as a lot of concrete, you’ll find the MK Gallery – an international contemporary art gallery and not far from the town, you can visit Woburn Abbey, the ancestral home to the Duke of Bedford.
  4. Villa Park, Birmingham
    Definitely one tourist attraction the kids will appreciate if you’re watching the rugby in Birmingham is a trip to Cadbury’s World, the home of the most famous English chocolate – although the company is now owned by US firm, Kraft. Not only do you get to watch chocolates being produced, but you also get a history of chocolate and to taste the spicy hot chocolate drink the Aztecs used to enjoy.

Of course, these are just some of the delights that England has to offer both international and local visitors. Planning a trip around the Rugby World Cup next September and October would certainly give you a great opportunity to explore more of England than just the match venues!