Leicester Tigers told 'your pitch is too small' after 2015 Rugby World Cup snub
Leicester Tigers are "surprised and disappointed" after Welford Road was left off a list of venues for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
While Leicester City's King Power Stadium has been included, the biggest club rugby ground in England has been axed from the list.
-
Leicester Tigers' Welford Road pitch is considered too small by World Cup organisers
The tournament organisers yesterday announced the list of 17 potential match venues for hosting the World Cup's 48 matches – and the majority of venues are large football grounds. The main reason given for the exclusion of Welford Road is that the pitch is not big enough.
The King Power Stadium also applied to host games and has made the shortlist, which will be cut to 10-12 next year.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
The 32,000-seater venue has been re-christened as the 'Leicester City Stadium' for sponsorship reasons for the tournament.
Tigers chairman Peter Tom said the club is "hugely disappointed" with the decision.
"When the International Rugby Board awarded the Rugby World Cup to the country that gave this sport to the world we saw this as an opportunity to celebrate the international game and also the professional club game here.
"Leicester Tigers wanted to be part of that.
"That the organisers do not think this an appropriate venue for its fixtures is disappointing and confusing, both for the professional club game in this country and for its supporters.
"Welford Road has hosted many, many major occasions over the years, including visits from South Africa, Australia and Argentina national teams in recent seasons.
"It is home to the best-supported and most successful club in the history of the professional game in this country and, as such, we believe is worthy of Rugby World Cup status."
Tom added; "The club invested £15million in building the new Caterpillar Stand in 2009 to take Welford Road's capacity up to 24,000.
"A programme of development will continue to improve facilities and the matchday experience for players, supporters and corporate guests.
"It is disappointing that this investment is not rewarded with World Cup status, while many other venues on the proposed list do not show that level of commitment to our sport."
The chief operating officer of ER 2015, the organisers, Ross Young said there are a number of minimum criteria when choosing potential venues, including standards of media and hospitality facilities, but one of them is consistency of pitch size.
The smallest criteria is 95x68m yet Welford Road's pitch is only 91m long.
"Teams want to play on the same size of pitches in all of their pool games," he said.
"But Leicester is a headlight of rugby and so there is still a good chance that World Cup rugby will be coming to the city."
The King Power Stadium will now be central to Leicester's bid, backed by the city council, which will now be subject to further evaluation.
The venue list will then be whittled down to 10-12 venues next spring.
Leicester City's chief executive officer Susan Whelan said the club is "honoured" to have been selected as a possible host.She said: "We look forward to working with our partners from the Leicester City Council and Leicester Tigers to delivering a bid the city can be proud of and, hopefully, to securing Leicester's place as an official host venue of Rugby World Cup 2015.
"Together with the city's proud sporting heritage and the passion of its people, it should combine to make Leicester's bid an extremely strong one."
Comments
by leicesterish
Thursday, October 11 2012, 5:19AM
“Maybe it's just me, but isn't the constant squabbling between Tigers and City fans just a teeny bit childish? Not all Rugby fans are upper class twits, in fact, if you knew anything about Rugby you'd know that most Rugby fans are not upper class twits, in just the same way that not all Football fans are moronic thugs intent on punching someone for doing no more than wearing a different coloured shirt.
Oadbylad is spot on, although not very diplomatic - neither set of fans will be given a voice in regards to this matter. Whether Tigers are chosen to host a game or not is not something the fans will influence. As someone who follows both sides I must say that I don't care either way to be honest. It's the Rugby World Cup, not a Tigers game, therefore I feel no over-riding loyalty to Tigers in this case. It might be the size of pitch, it might be the higher capacity at the Walkers Stadium, or it might be the fact that the organisers want the camera's to pan back to see large stadia, who knows, all we do know is that the decision is going to be made without talking to the fans of either club, so why bother chucking insults?
I disagree with Oadbylad regards atmosphere, I've been to the Walkers Stadium to watch the Tigers everytime they've played there and found the atmosphere to be one of the best i've experienced in my 30 odd years of watching the Tigers, without wishing to insult those who wear Blue, I've also been to the Walkers on countless occasions to watch City, and the atmosphere hasn't been a patch on the Rugby, but then a midweek game V's Southampton, with 500 away supporters and a half-full ground due to SKY coverage, doesn't have the same buzz as a sold-out semi final.
I would class myself as a Rugby fan first and a Football fan second and i really don't care if either ground hosts a RWC match, because it's not going to be England or one of the giants who will be playing there, it'll be Japan, or Tonga, or maybe, if we're really lucky, Fiji - there are apparently plans to have England playing group games away from HQ so fans can see them in other parts of the country, but that'll mean they go to Old Trafford, not Leicester.
Btw - City are 2nd in the table and are playing some superb stuff at last, Tigers are 3rd and are just starting to come into some kind of form - it's great being a LEICESTER fan!”
by wigono
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 12:22PM
“I heard someone saying last night that "grounds are rented out for such occasions" and that "the tigers wanted to much money" i don't know how true it is, but usually there's no smoke without fire”
by adrianh40
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 9:33AM
“Oadbylad - LCFC fans have an opinion because they are probably wondering how many city games will have to be moved to accomodate Rugby,although we should be used to it by now, and Yazoo your comments just confirm the opinion that most city fans have about Tiger fans. Yeah the King Power stadium might by souless and dull but hey its been chosen ahead of the the Tin Shack the egg chasers play in and whilst you refer to the low standards of football fans Clearly the RFU expect better standards for their fans so have not shortlisted Welford Road but a football stadium instead. The King Power has bars they may not be decent but they serve beer, what more do you want, arent you are there to watch a game not get P****d?”
by Oadbylad
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 6:56AM
“Nice write up here
http://tinyurl.com/99cmaov
Which i fully agree with
Cant under stand why football supporters should even have an opinion on this subject as ultimately is as nothing to do with them
I for one will not be going to the KP for Rugby ....ive been on several occasions in the past and the atmosphere for Rugby is garbage
You can just tell the footballers comments by the quotes and it just shows how little they know about Rugby ...Pitch sizes and rules and requirements of the modern game of World Cup Rugby
But me thinks weve not heard the last on this subject yet....and thats probably why were hearing so much about it ....
some ones testing the water”
by kazoo92
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 11:07PM
“The KP really is an awful stadium. No history, culture, tradition or decent bars. Just awful place to watch sport. Soulless and dull. It may be ok for wussball and the low standards of its fans but not Rugby folk. The RFU have just insulted the Tigers after we have contributed so much to the national team. World cup winning coach and captain.”
by spalding1944
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 9:02PM
“Have read the rugby web site- matches take place between 18th Sept and 31st Oct= i****** Power selected what will happen to the city football matches and the pitch ?”
by spalding1944
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 9:00PM
“Have read the rugby web site- matches take place between 18th Sept and 31st Oct= i****** Power selected what will happen to the city football matches and the pitch ?”
by NuneatonTiger
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 8:38PM
“Welford Road has been used for Rugby World Cup games in the past, thee is no excuse for not using the ground again unless of course you are looking for excuses not to play a game there. The ground is within the specification set for rugby pitches as there is a minimum and maximum size.
As we all know the ground is in a process of being redeveloped and the board are naturally cautious during these difficult financial times.
If the RFU are insisting on the largest pitch size why do they not talk to Tigers earlier and give them the opportunity to get more work done in time 2015? Perhaps they could have helped with the finance as they are spending around £75,000 on Twickenham and that has been rebuilt in recent times.”
by spalding1944
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 3:02PM
“Patrick4949- yes Tigers have played at the power king stadium , my only concern is the pitch.Having seen football pitches ruin by rugby games I stand by my comments”
by IncredibleD
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 1:47PM
“Ok so the RFU have their reasons but Welford Road is an iconic RUGBY stadium and Leicester Tigers are one of the best club sides in the world, argubly the most professional...to not select Welford Road and to select only one Aviva Premiership ground in the initially 17 (Kingsholme could still be scrapped) is an insult to Rugby Union.
Understand money has to be made and is 'Leicester City Stadium' is selected it will be packed...if it is not then the RFU need to take ANOTHER long look at themselves...too many old boys in their still!”