Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup final to be held in Yokohama Stadium

Yokohama Stadium, where the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final was held, is now set to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final ©AFP/Getty Images

Yokohama Stadium will play host to the finale of another major sporting event after it was confirmed as the replacement location for the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in a "revised roadmap" released by the sport's world governing body today, while the Tokyo Stadium football ground will also be added to a list of 12 venues.

This follows the scrapping of the planned design for a new 80,000 capacity National Stadium, to be used both during the World Cup and the following year's Olympics and Paralympics, as costs soared to ¥252 billion (£1.3 billion/$2 billion/€1.8 billion).

A new downscaled design is currently being drawn-up, but, despite a request from the International Olympic Committee for it to be completed by January 2020, it is not expected to be ready until March, meaning there was effectively no chance of it being complete in time for the World Cup.

In a strongly worded statement last month, World Rugby warned how the loss of the Stadium would have "significant impact" on "critical" aspects of the tournament including "overall ticketing capacity and tournament budget", calling on organisers to swiftly find an alternative solution.

This involves the addition of the Tokyo Stadium, home of FC Tokyo, with the 50,000 capacity venue to host both the Opening Ceremony and the first match.

Also known as the Ajinomoto Stadium, the venue is also expected to host football matches during Tokyo 2020 but has held rugby and American football encounters in the past.

But the final has been scheduled for the 70,000 International Stadium Yokohama, where Brazil beat Germany 2-0 to win a fifth football World Cup in 2002.

Brazil beat Germany to win the FIFA World Cup title at the International Stadium Yokohama in 2002 ©AFP/Getty Images

Full support has also been reiterated by the Japanese Government.

"These are exciting, unprecedented times for Japan Rugby and this revised road-map reinforces and reflects the shared vision and mission to deliver a Rugby World Cup that will be great for Japan, great for Asia and great for Rugby," said World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset.

"We look forward to working in full partnership with the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee and the Japan Rugby Football Union as we look ahead to what promises to be a spectacular and highly-successful event that will reach and inspire new audiences.

"We would like to thank our partners in Japan for their committed response to the stadium issue and all of the work they have undertaken, and in particular the Prime Minister of Japan and his Government, Japan Sports Council and the Governor of Tokyo and Mayor of Yokohama for their full support.”

As well as the Tokyo and Yokohama Stadium, matches will also take place at the Sapporo Dome, Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, the Kumagaya Rugby Ground, the Ogasayama Sports Park Ecopa Stadium, the Toyota Stadium, the Higashiosaka City Hanazono Rugby Stadium, the Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium, the Higashi Hirao Park Hakatanomori Football Stadium, the Kumamoto Prefectural Athletic Stadium and the Oita Stadium.

"This revised plan is an exciting blueprint for success and we are confident that Rugby World Cup 2019 will be a very special tournament for Japan and global rugby," said Japan 2019 cheif executive Akira Shimazu.

"We are also confident that the selection of the Tokyo Stadium for the opening match and the final in the International Stadium Yokohama will provide a spectacular backdrop for the tournament across Japan, throughout Asia and around the world."

This comes after the initial design for the new National Stadium, shown here, was scrapped earlier this year ©Getty Images

The Japan 2019 World Cup will follow the ongoing edition in England, where Japan have produced the result of the tournament so far by shocking 2007 winners South Africa 34-32 in their opening match

A record 20 million viewers in Japan then tuned in to watch the team's subsequent defeat to Scotland.

It will therefore come as a huge relief that the blueprint has been accepted, particularly because the fallout over the stadium dispute is currently casting a shadow over preparations for Tokyo 2020.

Japanese Sports Minister Hakubun Shimomura tendered his resignation last week after taking responsibility for the setback.