With one year to go until England plays host to the world's third largest sporting event, Prince Harry has been appointed as Honorary President of England Rugby 2015, the Organising Committee delivering Rugby World Cup 2015.

Prince Harry is a keen Rugby fan, and Vice Patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). In his role as Honorary President of England Rugby 2015, the Prince will play an important role in welcoming the 20 qualifying nations to Rugby World Cup 2015 from 18th September 2015 to 31 October 2015.

VisitEngland hails Rugby World Cup 2015 as a tremendous opportunity for tourism in England, with the potential to boost tourism spend, help grow the visitor economy and create jobs. In its role as national tourism partner for England, VisitEngland has been working with the organising committee, England 2015, the host cities, venues and local authorities to harness the opportunity to encourage visitors from home and abroad to stay longer, explore wider and spend more.

Hosting Rugby World Cup 2015 is estimated by Deloittes to be worth £2.1bn to the British economy. With 10 host cities in England (as well as Cardiff) and 41 team bases across the country, the tourism potential is spread far and wide with destinations and businesses set to benefit from the expected influx of international and domestic visitors. With the Tournament taking place over 44 days, and with several days between each team's fixtures, the vast domestic and international fan base will have the luxury of time to explore the host destinations and wider.

VisitEngland has been working closely with host destination organisations, venues and local authorities to ensure the best possible experience for all visitors, including spectators, media and teams.

Chairman of VisitEngland Lady Cobham CBE said: “We're incredibly excited at the tourism potential for England with one year to go until the arrival of Rugby World Cup 2015. England is a world class tourist destination and this high profile event provides a fantastic platform for our host cities and destinations to encourage and entice visitors to explore the wonderful experiences on offer. This is not only an opportunity for the host destinations, but for the entire country, as fans from home and abroad assemble, and media from across the globe focus their spotlight on England as host to the world's third biggest sporting event.”

On Friday (12/9) up to one million tickets for all 48 matches at Rugby World Cup 2015 went on sale. People can apply for tickets at www.tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. Prices start at £15 for adults and £7 for children. Matches that are oversubscribed will be balloted. People have until Monday September 29 to apply.

Debbie Jevans, Chief Executive of England Rugby 2015, said: "This is an exciting moment as up to one million tickets are on sale for Rugby World Cup 2015. As we approach a year to go, it's the moment that Rugby fans all around the world have been waiting for.  

"We have worked hard to develop a ticketing system which makes the application process easy and efficient as possible, and offers flexibility to fans. Fans have 17 days to apply, so there is no rush and they should take time to consider what they would like to purchase.  

"With prices starting at £15 for adults and £7 for children, it's a fantastic opportunity to watch the world's best teams play in some of the best venues in England and Cardiff.”  

Over the past year VisitEngland has embarked on a series of activities to make the most of the tourism opportunities presented by Rugby World Cup 2015. In addition to working with partners across England, representatives from VisitEngland have been visiting key international markets as part of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour to promote England's tourism offering. Earlier this year VisitEngland launched a series of animated films to mark the start of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour giving a preview of the sights, sounds and tastes of RWC2015 and England's Host destinations.

VisitEngland will also be providing Broadcast guides for visiting media with information on how to get around, where to stay and what to see during their stay. 

Notes to Editors

The Rugby World Cup (RWC) has the potential to generate over £2 billion in economic impact for the host country according to a report by the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, the business advisory firm. The report, commissioned by Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL), assessed the potential economic impact of the Rugby World Cup.  The full report is available to download from Deloitte's website here www.deloitte.co.uk/sportsbusinessgroup.

Rugby World Cup 2015 Match Venues and Host Cities:

1. Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton & Hove 
2. Manchester City Stadium, Manchester 
3. Elland Road, Leeds 
4. Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester 
5. Leicester City Stadium, Leicester 
6. Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 
7. Olympic Stadium, London 
8. Sandy Park, Exeter 
9. Stadium MK, Milton Keynes 
10. St James' Park, Newcastle 
11. Twickenham Stadium, London  
12. Villa Park, Birmingham 
13. Wembley Stadium, London

About VisitEngland

• VisitEngland is the country's national tourist board. We work in partnership with the industry to develop the visitor experience across England, plan national tourism strategy, grow the value of tourism in England and provide advocacy for the industry and our visitors.  Our work is underpinned by robust research and customer insights. You can access the latest in-depth market intelligence and statistics on www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics.
• England is a unique destination and a real powerhouse in global tourism. It represents 84 per cent of the total UK visitor economy, is worth £106 billion, and supports 2.6 million jobs.
• For corporate information see www.visitengland.org and for consumer information see www.visitengland.com.

Kersti Martin

Regional Manager AUS & NZ

VisitEngland (Sydney)

M: + 61 407 350 679 | E: Kersti.martin@visitengland.org