UPDATED: Saints' Langtree Park selected as venue for RLWC 2013 (From St Helens Star)

Saints Langtree Park selected as venue for RLWC 2013

8:20am Monday 28th November 2011 in News

SAINTS’ £25million Langtree Park will stage at least one match in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup after St Helens was selected as a host venue for the 14-nation tournament.

RFL tournament director Nigel Wood made the announcement at Media City, Salford this morning of 18 different venues which will stage matches and reveals six other venues which will host teams during the tournament.

Langtree Park will host a group game, but has missed out on being named as a quarter final venue, for which Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium, Wrexham, Wigan's DW stadium and Leeds' Headingley have been chosen.

The tournament will take place in the autumn of 2013 and St Helens Town Hall chiefs, who submitted the bid, believe the event can be a catalyst that will boost involvement in rugby league at school and grassroots levels as well as providing a focal point for a range of community activities.

Wood said: “We were particularly impressed by the strength of the bid from St Helens as the club and the town is about to embark on an exciting new era with the opening of Langtree Park.

“It is only fit and proper that one of the sports newest and most impressive arenas get the chance to host international fixtures in 2013 Rugby League World Cup.”

The announcement is likely to increase the excitement of the town’s rugby league supporters who are eagerly awaiting for the action to begin at the 18,000 capacity arena at Peasley Cross.

Saints’ chairman Eamonn McManus described the news as “a major and well deserved boost for the town of St Helens”.

He added: “We should all do everything we can to support the games which we are awarded - as well as the wider tournament itself.

“It’s a one-off opportunity for the town and for the club to showcase an international sporting event in our fabulous new stadium. It also gives us a chance to attract new fans to the sport and to Langtree Park.

“We should all get behind this tournament with the enthusiasm that our wonderful sport deserves and also see this as an opportunity to show the region and the country just what St Helens now has to offer major international sporting events.”

Council Leader Marie Rimmer was delighted with the news, adding: “We are very hopeful of hosting one of the premier teams.

“This international honour really puts our borough on the world map. And where better to stage it than at our world class, brand new rugby stadium?”

Details of the venues for the opening ceremony, the semi-finals and the final will be confirmed early in the New Year.

A total of 34 bids, comprising 30 stadia, 47 team training sites and 87 team base camps, were submitted to the RFL.

Each of the bidding hosts underwent a detailed inspection from a 2013 team to examine the various sites venue specifications, as well as evaluating the enthusiasm and commitment of each bidding host.

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The following venues will host matches in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup: Avignon -The Parc des Sports Stadium will host a group match.

Bristol - The Memorial Ground will stage a group match with the city also hosting a team base camp. Filton College will be used as a team training venue.

Calderdale - The Shay Stadium in Halifax will host a group match.

Copeland - The new Pow Beck Stadium in Whitehaven will host group matches with the Cumbria Sports Academy being used as a team training venue.

Hull - Both the KC Stadium and Craven Park will host group matches with the city also hosting two team base camps and team training venues.

Kirklees - The Galpharm Stadium will host a group match.

Leeds - Headingley Carnegie Stadium will host a group match and a quarter-final with two teams setting up team base camps in the city along with a team training venue being utilised.

Limerick - Thomond Park will host a group match.

Perpignan - The Stade Gilbert Brutus will host a group match.

Neath - The Gnoll will host a group match.

Rochdale - Spotland Stadium will host a group match.

Salford -The new City of Salford Stadium will host a group match and the city will also host a team base camp.

St Helens -The new Langtree Park Stadium will host a group match.

Warrington -The Halliwell Jones Stadium will host a group match and quarter-final. The town will also host a team base camp and the University of Chester will be used as a team training venue.

Wigan -The Leigh Sports Village will host a group match and will be used as a training venue. The DW Stadium will host a quarter-final.

Wrexham -The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium will host a group match and a quarter final. Wrexham will also host a team base camp and training venue.

The following venues will host teams during the 2013 Rugby League World Cup: Allerdale - Workington will host a team base camp.

Bolton - Bolton will be a team base camp with Bolton Arena’s facilities used as a team training venue.

Bradford -The Bulls Tong High School facilities in Bradford will be used as a team training venue.

Halton - Widnes will host a team base camp and the Stobart Stadium will be a training venue. Due to synthetic turf pitches not being sanctioned by the Rugby League International Federation the stadium is not allowed to stage a match.

Manchester - Manchester will host a team base camp and will also provide a team training venue.

Preston - The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) will provide team training facilities at UCLan Sports Arena with Preston also hosting a team base camp.