England has been selected to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup after the International Rugby Board (IRB) accepted the competition organisers' recommendation to select the Rugby Football Union's (RFU) bid.

At a special meeting held in Dublin, Ireland, the IRB Council backed a report by Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL), which assessed each prospective host union's bid in terms of financial, technical and commercial capabilities, before selecting England as its preferred host for the 2015 event. In addition to selecting England to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the IRB also revealed that Japan had been awarded the right to stage the 2019 tournament.

RWCL chair Bernard Lapasset said: "We believe that the succession of England and Japan as host nations for the Rugby World Cup will create new opportunities and help maximise commercial revenues for re-investment in the Game." "It is an exciting combination for the Rugby World Cup and one which we think will enable the sport to reach developing Rugby markets and therefore contribute to the continued growth of the Game and its values worldwide."

In May, bid proposals announced by the RFU revealed that a number of large football stadiums - including Wembley Stadium and Old Trafford in Manchester - could be used to stage tournament fixtures, while the national governing body also expects see a 30 per cent increase in ticket sales compared with France 2007. Francis Baron, RFU chief executive, said: "We have made a commitment to the IRB Council to host the most successful tournament ever, building on the outstanding success of France 2007 and what we are sure will be a great tournament in New Zealand in 2011. We will not disappoint them.

"We will host a festival of rugby that will fill our iconic stadia with excited fans and deliver a global platform for the game. We can't wait to get going and would like to thank the IRB Council for giving us this honour." Meanwhile, the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) has announced that the UK will host the next Rugby League World Cup in 2013 and will contribute to the 'Golden Decade of Sport' as launched by the government earlier this year.

Richard Lewis, chair of the Rugby Football League and deputy chair of the RLIF, said: "It is a great boost for Rugby League in the northern hemisphere to secure the World Cup in 2013. "The 2008 tournament was an outstanding success and our goal is to deliver a successful and profitable tournament that further enhances the international prestige of Rugby League."

Image: Rugby World Cup 2007, actionplus.co.uk