Rugby World Cup 2015
Olympic Park unlikely to host RWC 2015 games
ESPN Staff
February 14, 2013
London's Olympic Stadium has been put forward as a venue for the 2015 World Cup. June 6, 2012
West Ham have been named a the preferred long-term tennants of the Olympic Stadium © Getty Images
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The Olympic Stadium is unlikely to host Rugby World Cup matches in 2015, according to reports.

Those in charge of the Olympic Park and organisers of the tournament, England Rugby 2015, are still eager for the stadium to host World Cup matches. But a report in the Guardian suggests the logistics of converting the stadium are causing problems.

The Olympic Stadium was listed as one of the possible venues, which also included Wembley and the Millennium Stadium, last October and a decision on the final venues is due at the end of the month.

In December West Ham were selected as the preferred bidder for the main stadium tenancy, a move which could be confirmed at a London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) board meeting on Tuesday.

West Ham hope to move into the stadium for the 2016/17 season with it costing around £160m to convert the stadium to be used for athletics and football. But LLDC executives believe the cost of pausing construction work to make it ready for West Ham United could be prohibitive.

However ER 2015 remain hopeful the Olympic Stadium, with its large capacity and iconic status, will still be one of the venues to host World Cup rugby in 2015. A spokeswoman said: "We are very keen to use the Olympic stadium as a venue if it is possible and practical to do so, and are in discussions with the LLDC."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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