{"id":53217,"date":"2015-02-02T09:51:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-02T09:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=9c165eba3c4e7efbb67821e5ecf3d873"},"modified":"2015-02-02T09:51:00","modified_gmt":"2015-02-02T09:51:00","slug":"press-release-nick-clegg-visits-twickenham-to-celebrate-2-2bn-rugby-world-cup-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=53217","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Nick Clegg visited Twickenham to celebrate \u00a32.2bn Rugby World Cup legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The visit came just 4 days before the start of the Six Nations and amid preparations for the 2015 World Cup,<\/a> which will be hosted across 11 different cities and 13 different venues from Brighton to Newcastle.<\/p>\n

The event, which starts in September, will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the UK, create 12,000 new jobs and give a \u00a32.2 billion boost to the UK economy.<\/p>\n

Today the Deputy Prime Minister visited Twickenham Academy with Business Secretary and Twickenham MP Vince Cable to take part in an All Schools<\/a> rugby training session with some first year secondary school children.<\/p>\n

He was joined by England\u2019s most capped player, Jason Leonard, and Lydia Thompson from the England Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup winning squad, and took part in a game of end ball and any direction tag.<\/p>\n

The Deputy Prime Minister then went to Twickenham Stadium to meet with the Chief Executive of the Rugby Football Union and join in some teambuilding activities with young people led by the Dallaglio Foundation.<\/p>\n

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:<\/p>\n

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We all remember the incredible success of the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 Grand D\u00e9part of the Tour de France in Yorkshire. They both left a legacy that the whole country can be proud of.<\/p>\n

This year, we have the privilege of hosting the Rugby World Cup and it promises to the biggest ever for English rugby.<\/p>\n

Not only will it bring billions of pounds to our economy and create thousands of jobs but it will leave a lasting legacy, building on the work here at the Twickenham Academy, inspiring youngsters from every background to pick up a ball.
\nI want to wish the England team the best of luck in the year ahead. Lets make 2015 another great sporting year for this country.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

RFU<\/abbr> Chief Executive Ian Ritchie said:<\/p>\n

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This is an extremely important year for us. We have an overarching objective to develop rugby in England and the World Cup provides the ultimate shop window in order for us to grow the game. We want to be able to look back and say \u2013 great we have more people playing, coaching, refereeing and volunteering than ever before.<\/p>\n

The RFU<\/abbr> has committed over \u00a325 million to date, to a 7-strand legacy project which includes the provision of better facilities, developing more coaches and with All Schools \u2013 taking rugby to state secondary schools that haven\u2019t previously played the sport.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Building a legacy<\/h2>\n

By 2019 there will be 750 new state secondary schools playing rugby as part of the RFU<\/abbr>\u2019s All Schools Programme, which helps schools start and continue to play rugby. All Schools provides kit and equipment, coaching, staff training and importantly club links. With over 300 school already in the programme the RFU<\/abbr> is on track to meet the target of 400 schools (200,000 secondary school children) playing rugby by the start of the Rugby World Cup in September this year.<\/p>\n

Sport has been shown to produce happier, healthier and more socially cohesive individuals. Research undertaken by the RFU<\/abbr> shows a correlation between playing rugby and GCSE results, with the impact being greatest in the most deprived schools.<\/p>\n

Boosting the economy<\/h2>\n