RWC Venue Guide: Manchester

Editor

Ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, we explore the highlights in each of the host cities and venues.

MANCHESTER

Fixtures:
Saturday, October 10th: England v Uruguay

City highlights:
If you take an interest in football, the National Football Museum is located at the Urbis building in the centre of Manchester and was founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of association football memorabilia. 

After visiting the museum, take a walk around the Castlefield Urban Heritage Park to see the city's famous canals, while taking a look at the carefully-preserved Roman fort. If you’re not a history lover, then there are plenty of excellent bars and restaurants in the area.

Just round the corner is the Museum of Science and Industry, which offers an impressive collection of exhibitions all year round – and best of all, there's no admission fee.

Where and what to eat:
Rusholme in the South of Manchester is the home of the ‘Curry Mile’. The name is earned from the large number of restaurants, takeaways and kebab houses specialising in the cuisines of South Asia and the Middle East, which is thought to be the largest concentration of South Asian restaurants outside the Indian subcontinent.

Pre-match drink:
The Printworks entertainment complex and the surrounding area is one of the most popular nightspots in Manchester city centre. The main attraction is The Printworks itself, a converted newspaper printers packed with large bars, huge nightclubs, chain restaurants and a giant IMAX cinema.

Post-match nightlife:
The Northern Quarter has quickly become the most popular place to go for a night out, with some of Manchester's best independent bars and traditional pubs to be found. Located around the corner from the revamped High Street and the 'original Northern Quarter' on Oldham Street, it's next to both the Arndale Centre and Piccadilly Gardens.

Some of the most popular bars in the city centre are located at the bottom end of Deansgate. Not to be mistaken with the Deansgate Area of town, 'The Locks' – as they are better known locally – are famous for their trendy bars and clubs, with most being owned by Manchester-based companies.

Stadium: The Etihad Stadium:
It is home to Manchester City Football Club but was originally built for the Commonwealth Games in 2002. Rugby has always held a presence at the stadium and, during the Games, New Zealand defeated Fiji to claim gold in the Sevens final.

The ground became home to 2013 Premier League champions Man City in 2003 and has also hosted concerts with UK bands Oasis and Take That.

Getting there:
The stadium is a 25-minute walk from the centre of Manchester and there is a signposted route from Manchester Piccadilly Station.

There is a tram station adjacent to the stadium and the boarding station can be found at City Square in the centre of town, and there are also a number of bus services that run locally and more frequently on match days.

Capacity/atmosphere:
With a capacity of 47,800 there will be no shortage of atmosphere. The stadium is your typical modern day stadium with facilities to rival any of the top venues in the world.