On Sept. 18, 20 teams from 20 nations – along with their fans – will descend on England and Wales to battle for the Rugby World Cup. The action will take place in 11 cities, on grounds considered just as hallowed as the Montreal Forum or Fenway Park. Here’s a look at what’s on offer in three of the host cities – in the stands and beyond the pitch.
London
Not surprisingly, Britain’s capital and largest city will host most of the World Cup action at three venues. While Wembley Stadium boasts a central location and Twickenham will host the finals, the grounds around Olympic Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Park is certainly worthy of your time.
What to see
The 2012 Olympics have cleared out, but they have left behind stunning infrastructure in one of London’s fastest-growing neighbourhoods. Make your way from Stratford station to the park, then take the elevator up the ArcelorMittal Orbit. For the point of bragging rights, it’s billed as Britain’s “largest sculpture.” But it’s also an observation tower … which happens to look like a roller coaster and circular slide engaged in some sort of bizarre sexual congress. From atop the structure, you get an excellent view of the park’s aquatic centre. One might guess that architect Zaha Hadid’s inspiration for the complex was extraterrestrial: It bears a striking resemblance to the ship from Flight of the Navigator.
What to do
Equally impressive in size and design is the Lee Valley VeloPark. The indoor facility is affectionately nicknamed The Pringle for the shape of its uniform chip-like roof. Rent a two-wheeler and go for a spin on one of the bike park’s tracks. Sorry, the lightning-fast indoor oval with banks of 44 degrees is off limits unless you take a course.
After you’ve worked up a sweat, cool off with a drink at the Westfield Shopping Centre. Even if doing laps at a mall is not your thing, a quick stroll through the glistening, light-filled main atrium of the indoor/outdoor hybrid building still warrants a few minutes.
The stadium
With tickets still available for most games, you would be best to hop on the train to Twickenham, where the stadium of the same name is home turf for England’s national rugby squad. The building is the largest in the world dedicated solely to rugby, and probably the only place in the world where 82,000 people can be heard singing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – England’s team song. The explosion of passionate fans after a home team try rocks the stands.
Leeds
Just a few years ago – or even today – announcing your plans to visit this city in the north of England would be met with a raised eyebrow. But Leeds is shedding its industrial past and building a new persona centred on the arts and technology.
What to see
In the newly imagined Leeds Dock area, you’ll find the largest collection of guns, swords and chain mail in all of England at the Royal Armouries. The complex was built to house a collection of antiquities that used to be on display or in storage at the Tower of London, which was bursting at the seams. The collection includes 70,000 pieces, including many suits of armour worn by Henry VIII – which for some reason seem to grow in size as the king aged.
What to do
Even someone who typically thumbs his or her nose at art – or, for that matter, nature – will be in awe upon arriving at the 300-acre Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Located 30 kilometres south of Leeds, the beautiful rolling green hills are home to works from world-renowned artists, including Ai Weiwei and Henry Moore. Some of the installations are more innovative. For example, Andy Goldsworthy offers up a simple stone slab in the middle of a walled sheep enclosure. The art is created when a subject lies across the stone as the first raindrops or snowflakes begin to fall. When the subject stands up, a dry impression of his or her body is left behind.
The stadium
It doesn’t look like much from the street, but Elland Road is viewed by many as one of the most important soccer stadiums in all of England – and it just so happens to be hosting Canada’s national rugby team in a match against Italy. The pitch is home to Leeds United FC, which fell on hard times after some risky gambles on players. Despite the adversity, and a stadium in dire need of further renos, the fans keep coming. Even touring the empty building on a cold and drizzly summer day, there’s a palpable buzz in the air.
Cardiff
There’s something about the Welsh capital, and indeed all of Wales, that shouts: “Don’t forget us!” It’s a cry for attention that Canadians understand well, and it’s a plea eager travellers should hear. Being a small city by British standards, it’s all the more obvious that Cardiff soaks with history and character. And, on my visit, rain. It does that a lot in Wales.
What to see
Take a careful look around one of Cardiff’s most venerable department stores, Howells. What many shoppers fail to notice are some leftover features of a mid-19th-century chapel that was swallowed up when Howells underwent an expansion. Portions of Bethany Baptist Chapel’s façade are still visible, as is a portion of the domed ceiling. The designer shoes and handbags now claim the spot where Rawlins White, a Protestant fisherman, was burned at the stake in 1555 for heresy on orders from Queen Mary.
What to do
Keep dry at Cardiff Castle in the centre of town. Parts of the grounds date back to when the Romans set up camp in the year 75. This place has a story to tell – and it’s a story that took a rather bizarre turn when the third Marquess of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, inherited the castle in 1848 and turned it into a sort of medieval-themed fun house. Keep your eyes peeled in the library, where a likeness of Charles Darwin appears on the face of a carved monkey. Let’s just say Crichton-Stuart was not a fan of the theory of evolution.
The stadium
As stadiums go, Cardiff scores a hat trick: Millennium Stadium, home to the Welsh national rugby team, is central and big and has a roof that closes. Rogers Centre and BC Place bow before this behemoth. It’s the second-largest stadium in the world with a retractable roof, holding 74,500 fans. (Of course, everything being bigger in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium takes the global crown.) Interestingly, rain does not necessarily mean that the roof will be closed; that decision has to be made with the consensus of both teams.
The writer travelled as a guest of Visit Britain. It did not review or approve this article.