Rugby World Cup 2015

Playing Smart

An international rugby tournament presented big transport challenges – First Travel Solutions tackled them head-on.

The Challenge

England’s hosting of the Rugby World Cup in 2015 saw 20 international teams compete at venues in 11 host cities. For the organisers, English Rugby, transport planning was key to success.

Over the six weeks of the tournament, it needed to ensure teams, VIPs, media and supporters were carried efficiently to and from the 13 venues. It would be a complex task, with numbers sometimes unpredictable.

Critically, transport needed to be safe and swift, minimising disruption around the venues

The Solution

First Travel Solutions was contracted to provide transport for Twickenham, the UK’s second largest stadium. Besides providing coaches, we supplied 25 ground staff to oversee the operation.

English Rugby had arranged for the closure of part of the A316 dual carriageway for several hours on match days. We were charged with rapidly turning this area into a bus station for the venue, providing for safe passenger access and boarding.

The organisers required all spectators to be transported from the venue within an hour after the match. We managed to cut this time by recommending changes to signage, loading and vehicle movement space. In the event, we moved 21,000 people within an hour on each Twickenham match day.

The Result

As the tournament progressed, English Rugby asked us to increase provision, due to the success of the bus service. We were able to source an extra 100 buses at short notice for several Twickenham matches. We were also asked to extend our services to other venues. We provided executive coaches for VIPs, media, military bands and flag teams in every host city, from Newcastle to Exeter. At peak periods we were providing 400 vehicles per day across the country. In addition, we provided support at short notice to develop park and ride services for local authorities in host cities.