D-Day for Chiefs World Cup hopes

The Exeter Chiefs will find out today if they have been named as a Rugby World Cup venue.

Last March it was confirmed that Sandy Park had been added to the long list of match venues for Rugby World Cup 2015 and an announcement was due to be made this morning by the organising committee.

The Devon venue was identified as one of a number of potential hosting sites by competition organisers, who are keen to ensure the four-yearly tournament utilises venues all over the country.

Sandy Park, which was built in 2006 at a cost of £15 million, meets all of the Rugby World Cup 2015 minimum standards criteria, including playing facilities, pitch size, commercial considerations and the support of the local authority. In addition, the stadium will also have an increased capacity by 2015.

Welcoming today's announcement at the time, Exeter Rugby Club Chairman and Chief Executive, Tony Rowe OBE, said: "We see this as not only a fantastic opportunity to showcase our great club to the world’s rugby fraternity, but also it provides a wonderful opportunity to bring alive not only the city of Exeter, but also our region which we know offers a significant input into the heartbeat of English rugby.”

Debbie Jevans, England Rugby 2015 Chief Executive, added: “We want to ensure that Rugby World Cup 2015 is a truly national event, and Sandy Park, located in the rugby heartland of the South West, gives us the option to take the tournament as far and wide as possible.

Over the next five years the Chiefs plan to expand the capacity of their ground from the current figure of 10,744 to 20,600 - and it is anticipated that the redevelopment will cost in the region of £24 million with three new grandstands and a 1,000-seater auditorium some of the additions to the current set-up.

Throughout that process - and also with the current Rugby World Cup 2015 submission - club officials have been working closely with Exeter City Council, whose leader Pete Edwards, has welcomed the news that the Rugby World Cup could be heading to Devon.

He said: "This is another great opportunity for Exeter to play its part at the heart of the South West in contributing to this exciting world event and to provide a great welcome to UK and international visitors. We are working particularly with Exeter Chiefs to try and secure the final selection of Exeter as one of the host cities for Rugby World Cup 2015 so that millions of people can get at least a glimpse of what the city and its surrounding area can offer."