England is hosting the Rugby World Cup this autumn but the national side could be forced to play in their change kit and use the away dressing room at Twickenham for their opening match, it has emerged.
Much has been made of the benefits of home advantage for Stuart Lancaster’s men in a tough group, which will open with the first match of the tournament against Fiji on 18 September.
According to the tournament rules, however, a coin is tossed to determine the “home” and “away” sides. As Fiji also play in white, England may be forced to play in their change strip – still to be unveiled but likely to be red. It is believed the coin toss has already taken place but the result is yet to be made public.
If England prove particularly unlucky with their coin tosses, it may even be the case that they would make it through the entire tournament without donning their new home kit.
The Rugby Football Union came under fire last year when it emerged that it planned to release six new kits in the space of two years. New home and away jerseys are required for the World Cup because tournament rules decree they cannot feature the logo of the sponsor O2.
After facing Fiji, England face Wales and Australia at Twickenham before playing their final pool match against Uruguay at the City of Manchester Stadium.
With fewer than six months to go until the World Cup kicks off, the next major milestone will be the start of the Trophy Tour on 10 June. Marking 100 days to go, it will travel through Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England before returning to Twickenham in time for the opening ceremony and the first match.
