Rugby World Cup and the venues
Soccer fans might be able to recognize a few of the stadiums where some of the biggest soccer teams ply their trade.
With only eight days to go until the start of this year’s Rugby World Cup, we take a look at the stadiums which will be hosting the men in the green and gold.
Brighton Community Stadium
With a capacity of just 30,750, this stadium is situated on the outskirts of the city of Brighton and Hove.
It was constructed at a cost of £93 million. The ground won awards for its semi-circular stand roofs and tubular supporting steelwork from both fans of sport and architecture.
The Springboks will be kicking off their campaign at this stadium against Japan on Saturday 19 September. The pool B encounter will be the match 4 of the tournament.
Elland Road
This 37,914 capacity stadium is a historic place, where in 1992, over 14,000 rugby fans turned up to watch the South African national side, who had just been readmitted to the international game.
Boasting players like Naas Botha and Robert du Preez, they beat a North of England XV.
Kingsholm Stadium
Capacity – 16,500. Kingsholm hosted its first Test match in 1900, when Billy Bancroft led Wales to a 13-3 victory over England. His opposite number that day was one Octopus Gamlin.
Kingsholm didn’t host another international for 91 years and when it did, 12,000 fans watched world champions New Zealand score eight tries as they cruised past the USA 46-6 in RWC 1991 thanks to a hat-trick from full back Terry Wright. In 2007 the main grandstand was redeveloped, increasing the total capacity to 16,500.
Leicester City Stadium
Capacity – 32,312.
The Leicester City Stadium replaced an old ground with a state-of-the-art all-seater facility.
L
eicester Tigers have played six matches here, including a 2005 Heineken Cup semi-final, which they lost to Toulouse, and a 2006 quarter-final in the same tournament, which saw them defeated by Bath.
The jinx was broken by a win over Llanelli in a European Cup semi in 2007, and they’ve since got revenge over Bath on the ground too.
In 2006, to celebrate the centenary of Springbok overseas tours, the stadium hosted a World XV v South Africa contest. The Springboks took the honours 32-7
Manchester City Stadium
Capacity – 47,800.
The venue hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2002.
British athletics heroes. Manchester City Football Club moved in the following year. The capacity can be increased to 60,000 for concerts, with Oasis and Take That, two of the star attractions to have played at the venue.
The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Capacity – 54,000.
Work is being undertaken to transform the former Olympic Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park into a year round multi-use venue that will deliver a lasting sporting legacy.
Transformation work includes installing the largest roof of its kind in the world, a community track, innovative retractable seating, and external landscaping.
The stadium will reopen temporarily for five matches at Rugby World Cup in 2015, before opening permanently as the new home of West Ham United Football Club and national competition centre for UK Athletics in 2016.
On 07 October, the Springboks will battle it out against the USA.
Sandy Park
Capacity – 12,300. Home to the recently-promoted Aviva Premiership side Exeter Chiefs, The team played a match as early as 1873. Built to replace the County Ground in 2006, the Chiefs’ new home came complete with the planning permission to expand, rising from 8,000 originally to 10,744.
St James’ Park
Capacity – 52,409. 
Hosting its first match in 1880, St James’ Park is the oldest football stadium in the North East of England. Outside of London, it is also the second biggest sports ground in England.
The stadium itself was built on the site of the city’s execution gallows. Home to Newcastle United Football Club since 1892, the stadium has also hosted international and 2012 Olympic football, as well as concerts from the likes of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
The Springboks will play Scotland at this venue on 03 October.
Stadium MK
Capacity – 30,717. The originally named Stadium MK is home to the MK Dons.
The ground has staged a handful of rugby union games: in 2008, Saracens played Bristol in Milton Keynes, and during the 2010-11 season, Northampton Saints used Stadium MK as a base for their assault on the Heineken Cup knockout stages.
Twickenham Stadium
Capacity – 81,605. The biggest dedicated rugby ground in the world has staged its first game between two local sides, Harlequins and Richmond in 1909.
The home of English rugby, and a Rugby World Cup host in 1991 and 1999, the famous ground has also staged showpiece Rugby League matches, and has rocked to the sound of the Rolling Stones.
Villa Park
Capacity – 42,785.
Originally built in a Victorian amusement park on the site of a Jacobean stately home.
Athletics, cycling, boxing and rugby league have all taken place here over the years, and two rugby union touring sides have also run out onto its famous pitch.
The springboks will face off against Samoa at this very stadium on 26 September.
Wembley Stadium
Capacity – 90,000. The original Wembley Stadium hosted five of football’s European cup finals, the 1966 World Cup Final, the landmark 1985 Live Aid concert, and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1948 Olympic Games.
The new Wembley Stadium has staged huge concerts, a UEFA Champions League final, Olympic football, NFL matches, both codes of rugby and motor sport.
Wembley hosted its first rugby international in 1992, when England defeated a touring Canada side 26-13 while Twickenham underwent redevelopment.
Wales have played the most games here: contesting seven internationals while the Millennium Stadium was being built in the late 1990s.
Millennium Stadium
Capacity – 74,154. This ground is where Wales secured Six Nation Grand Slam victories here in 2005 and 2012.
It is the second largest sports venue in the world with a fully retractable roof.
Built to replace the Arms Park, it opened with Wales beating South Africa before becoming the primary host venue for Rugby World Cup 1999.
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