Rugby ready to live up to 'proud home' status

The town of Rugby is preparing to take its share of the global spotlight when England and Wales host the Rugby World Cup this autumn.

The carnival of rugby union between September 18 and October 31 will bring visitors from all over the world flocking to this country.

They will head principally, of course, for the great stadia like Twickenham, the Millennium Stadium and Villa Park where games will take place - but there is no doubt that also on the must-visit list for many will be the birthplace of the sport.

And with those visitors come clear business opportunities for the town of Rugby and the wider county of Warwickshire to exploit. This is truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity with the World Cup predicted to inject up to £2.2 billion for the British economy from some 500,000 international visitors expected to generate £869 million of expenditure.

That economic benefit will be felt most of all by the 12 designated host cities – one of which is Rugby. Alongside the list of 11 cities that will host matches, the town of Rugby has been given a unique ‘Proud Home’ designation by World Cup organisers, included for its obvious attraction for national and international visitors.

This is an opportunity that the town and the county do not intend to miss. Rugby will be ready.

Preparations led by Rugby Borough Council have been underway for months. By August the town will be dressed. Hundreds of volunteers and town guides are being recruited to provide a warm welcome to visitors and direct them to key points of interest within the town. Education programmes will involve 50 schools and 2,000 pupils during the tournament.

And some of the benefits will last far longer than the brief duration of the tournament itself. A big emphasis is being placed on legacy with improvements made whose value will endure, like the renovation and de-cluttering of street furniture and the updating of interpretation-panels at key tourist locations.

The centrepiece will be a Rugby Village located at the Old Market Place. On non-match days, this will host a range of cultural events spanning art, music, entertainment, comedy, theatre, poetry and heritage with talks from guest speakers. 

On match-days the space will be a transformed into an official Fanzone, screening fixtures for up to 2,000 people in a rugby club atmosphere with pre and post-match entertainment. The objective is to create an occasion for those who have missed out on tickets to say ‘I was there’. Rugby is set to offer the warmest of welcomes to those from far and near.