Henry Smith MP has wished the England rugby union team luck in the Rugby World Cup, which starts this evening at Twickenham.

Henry said;

“I want to wish Stuart Lancaster and his team the very best of luck in the 2015 Rugby World Cup – the biggest sporting event we’ve seen on these shores since the Olympics three summers ago.

“Earlier this year in Parliament I was lucky enough to get close to the Webb Ellis Cup – let’s hope this will be given to Chris Robshaw after the final on 31st October!”

The eighth Rugby World Cup starts this evening as England play Fiji; the Final will also be played at Twickenham on 31st October.

Stadia across England, as well as the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, will be used to stage matches. Venues used also include the Olympic Stadium, Wembley Stadium, and the American Express Community Stadium at Falmer.

Henry continued;

“It’s great that matches will be held in Sussex, at Brighton & Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium. It’s always great to see top-class events in our county – Crawley’s own K2 Leisure Centre hosted the English National Badminton Championships earlier this year, and I understand Brighton’s former Goldstone Ground held a football match at the 1948 Olympics.”

The tournament is part of the ‘golden decade’ of British sport hosted in the United Kingdom, which has seen the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup, the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and the 2014 Commonwealth Games hosted across the United Kingdom, with the 2017 IAAF and IPC World Athletics Championships and 2019 Cricket World Cup to come.