Venues revealed for 20 Rugby World Cup welcome ceremonies

The 20 venues which will host Rugby World Cup welcome ceremonies have been announced ©World Rugby

Venues across England and Wales will host welcome ceremonies for teams competing at the 2015 Rugby World Cup ahead of the tournament, due to begin on September 18, it has been announced.

Fiji will be the first to be welcomed to the nation at Hampton Court Palace on September 10, with a further 19 ceremonies scheduled in the lead-up to the competition.

They will take place at landmarks such as the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, the HM Naval Base in Portsmouth, Gloucester Cathedral and the Tower of London.

Each ceremony will feature the presentation of the player’s tournament caps and participation medals as well as a performance of the official Rugby World Cup anthem, World in Union, by local school choirs.

They will also include four cap and medal bearers, aged between 16 and 24 in an attempt to represent the legacy of the Rugby World Cup.

Hampton Court Palace will stage the first welcome ceremony for Fiji on September — Hampton Court Palace, which hosted the cycling time trial won by Britain's Bradley Wiggins during London 2012, will stage the first Rugby World CUp welcome ceremony for Fiji on September 10 ©Getty Images

“Rugby World Cup 2015 is about communities and teams uniting to celebrate rugby, sport and friendship and these official team welcome ceremonies really will set the tone for the tournament,” World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset said.

“Representing your team on the greatest of stages is the pinnacle of any player’s career and the culmination of years of dedication and passion.

“Britain is renowned for its exceptional warm welcome and love of major events and I am sure that these ceremonies the length of breadth of England and Wales will be very special and cherished by both the teams and welcoming communities alike.”

England Rugby 2015 claim the ceremonies will help “broaden the reach of the tournament”, which features 20 of the world’s top teams.

“These events will be a celebration of the team’s achievements, alongside a warm local welcome as the 20 best reams arrive for Rugby World Cup 2015,” England Rugby 2015 managing director Steve Brown added.

“These landmark locations from across England and Wales broaden the reach of the tournament and will be great settings for us to welcome the players and management.”

A full rundown of the 20 ceremonies including dates, locations and the team which will be welcomed can be viewed here, and tickets for the event itself are still available by clicking here.