It has been announced that the Surrey Sports Park, in association with the University of Surrey, is on the approved list of 41 Team Bases that will host the 20 participating teams during the IRB Rugby World Cup 2015. England Rugby 2015, the Organising Committee for the World Cup in England and Cardiff (that takes place between 18 September and 31 October 2015) also confirmed that international teams Ireland and Italy would be using the Sports Park as their base.
Paul Blanchard, Surrey Sports Park CEO, said, “We are extremely proud and honoured to have been selected by England Rugby 2015 as an official Team Base for Rugby World Cup 2015. We look forward to hosting the huge rugby nations of both Italy and Ireland here at the University of Surrey’s Surrey Sports Park, where we will ensure players and coaches can prepare for one of the world’s largest sporting events in the optimum training environment.”
The search for Team Bases was launched via an open tender process in May 2013 and over 90 bids from across England and Wales were received. A mix of rugby and football clubs, schools, colleges, universities and dedicated training facilities will be utilised by the 20 teams, taking the reach of the tournament even further.
In order for a bid to be successful, it must be able to prove it has the following facilities; an outdoor pitch, an indoor training facility, a swimming pool, a gym and a hotel. The facilities must also meet international team training standards and be located on one site or within close proximity of each another. Match venue locations were also taken into account as part of the selection programme, which favoured the Sports Park with its close proximity to Twickenham.
England Rugby 2015 CEO, Debbie Jevans said, “As the organising committee for Rugby World Cup 2015 we are committed to ensuring that all participating teams have the optimum training environments available to them throughout the tournament and in this regard we are delighted to announce our 41 official Team Bases for the event.”
“With a wide range of excellent facilities and locations secured, the teams can be assured of having all their training needs met, whilst allowing us to spread the reach of the tournament even further throughout England and in Wales.”
The Surrey Sports Park Team Base will consist of world-class grass pitches, artificial 3G pitches, a 50m, 8-lane swimming pool, a 120 station gym with dedicated strength and conditioning studio and more.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey, Professor Sir Christopher Snowden, said, “I’m delighted that the our Sports Park has been selected for the Rugby World Cup 2015. It is particularly fitting given our international mix of staff and students, encompassing 145 different nationalities.”
“I look forward to welcoming the teams to Surrey Sports Park, one of Europe’s leading sports venues and home to world-class facilities, including three multi-purpose sports arenas, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and state-of-the-art gym.”
Surrey Sports Park has worked closely with England Rugby 2015 over the past year to facilitate detailed site visits, whilst liaising with the Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) and Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) prior to confirmation of its status as an official Team Base for Rugby World Cup 2015. With Italy and Ireland based at the Sports Park, Guilford and Surrey have the opportunity to be part of the world’s third largest sporting event and celebration of rugby next year.
Italian international, Luigi Troiani, who was capped 47-times and featured in the 1991 and 1995 World Cups during his playing career and is currently the Italy Team Manager, visited the facilities and hotels that will host Italy during RWC 2015 earlier this summer. He said, “I was impressed by the quality both of indoor and outdoor training facilities at our Team Base and, as everybody in our team, thrilled by the prospective of being part of such a great event as the next year’s Rugby World Cup 2015. England has confirmed its great passion for sports over the years, with fantastic crowds attending the 2012 Olympics and more recently the first stages of the Tour de France. As such, I’ve no doubt Italy will receive a warm welcome by the local community which will help us fighting for an historical qualification to the knock-out stages, which is our aim for next year’s Rugby masterpiece event.”
Michael Kearney, the Ireland Team Manager also had this to say, “The Ireland Team Management are delighted that during RWC 2015 the Ireland team will be based at Celtic Manor and Newport, St George’s Park, Surrey Sports Park and Sport Wales National Centre for a portion of our time at the tournament. Team bases play a vital role in team preparation and it is important that the facilities are of a world class standard while also providing a positive atmosphere for the players and management in between training and team activities.”
A Rugby World Cup 2015 Team Base will consist of and will be utilised by the competing teams in the lead up to, and during the six week event with the Sports Park also hosting teams during the knockout stages of the Tournament.
Paul Blanchard, Surrey Sports Park SEO concluded, “Surrey Sports Park already has a proud history of hosting elite teams and athletes including English Premiership’s Harlequins, 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup champions England and 17 Olympic and Paralympic nations ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
“Guildford and Surrey once again has its opportunity to take its place in one of the biggest sporting tournaments on the planet and we hope the local community will be able to feel a real part of Rugby World Cup 2015 once the teams arrive later next year.”
James Martin
Image sourced from: http://tinyurl.com/pxwgt2q