NORTH EAST TRAINING BASES ANNOUNCED FOR RUGBY WORLD CUP
England 2015 today announced the training bases for all four national sides due to play games within North East England during next year’s Rugby World Cup.
Reigning world champions New Zealand will use Darlington Mowden Park’s Northern Echo Arena as their main training base in the run up to their Group D match against Tonga at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park on 9th October 2015.
Originally built in 2003 the 25,000 seater Northern Echo Arena is currently home to National League One side Darlington Mowden Park boasts top of the range facilities which were recently put on show during the Northern Round of the Premiership Rugby 7s.
Meanwhile Tonga, who last visited the region in November 2012 for a game against Newcastle Falcons which saw the touring team defeated at Kingston Park, will use Northumbria University’s facilities as their training base in the build up to that game.
Elsewhere in the North East two-time world Champions South Africa will use Gateshead International Stadium and the Gateshead College Sporting Academy while training for their game against Scotland on 3rd October.
As main sponsors of Gateshead Thunder the college has already established strong links with the North East rugby league community, but will now cross codes to offer facilities to the world’s second ranked national side along with Thunder’s home ground, Gateshead International Stadium.
Gateshead will also play host to Scotland’s other North East opponents, ninth ranked Samoa, prior to their game against Scotland on 10th October.
Finally Scotland will base their training camp for their two North East games at Newcastle’s Royal Grammar School. The Jesmond school, which counts Falcons captain Will Welch among its former pupils, boasts a long affiliation with rugby as well as state-of-the-art training facilities.
Today’s announcement comes at the end of a lengthy bidding process which saw facilities throughout the region bid to host national sides during the competition.
Over 700 Newcastle Falcons Season Ticket Holders have already purchased their tickets for the Rugby World Cup through England 2015’s Priority Access Programme. Tickets for the competition go on general sale on 12th September.
Newcastle United’s St James’ Park is one of 14 venues around England and Wales for the Rugby World Cup 2015 and will host to four games within pools C and D of the competition.
For more information on the Rugby World Cup or to register to buy tickets when they become available, please visit the England 2015 website at [www.rugbyworldcup.com][1].
[1]: http://www.rugbyworldcup.com
