London's Olympic Stadium has been confirmed as one of 13 venues for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and will host five matches, tournament organisers announced today.
England will kick off the tournament at Twickenham on the evening of Friday September 18, 2015, against a team from the Oceania qualifying group, likely to be Fiji.
Two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final will be at Twickenham, as well as five pool matches including three England games - the other two being against Wales and Australia. Wales's match against Australia will also be at Twickenham.
Cardiff's Millennium Stadium will host the other two quarter-finals, plus six pool matches including two Wales games against yet-to-be-determined World Cup qualifiers.
West Ham will be moving into the Olympic Stadium later this decade
The Olympic Stadium will have four pool games plus the bronze medal match.
Wembley Stadium hosts two pool matches including New Zealand v Argentina, one of the most attractive-looking games of the group phase.
Coventry, Bristol, Derby, Southampton and Sunderland, who were on the original long list of venues, have all been omitted from the final list.
The tournament schedule also sees England play all their group matches at weekends, as do Ireland.
Wales, Scotland, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand will all have one midweek fixture.
Scotland will play two matches at Newcastle's St James' Park, including eye-catching fixtures against South Africa and Samoa.
England Rugby 2015 chief executive Debbie Jevans said: "The world can now start planning for Rugby World Cup 2015.
"In less than two and a half years' time, we will be welcoming the world to England and to a celebration of rugby, played in a range of atmospheric stadiums right across the country."
2015 Rugby World Cup Venues
SELECTED STADIUMS
Twickenham
Wembley Stadium
Olympic Stadium
Millennium Stadium
Etihad Stadium (Manchester City)
St James' Park (Newcastle United)
Elland Road (Leeds United)
King Power Stadium (LeicesterCity)
Villa Park (Aston Villa)
Kingsholm, Gloucester
stadiummk (MK Dons)
Amex Stadium (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Sandy Park (Exeter Chiefs)