Elland Road is set to play host to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, following the announcement that England will be the host nation.

The stadium has hosted a number of rugby league matches in recent years, but it will be the first time rugby union has been played at the stadium.

The Rugby Football Union beat competition from South Africa and Italy to secure the World Cup after submitting a commercial package worth an estimated £300million to the global game.

The 2015 World Cup will run from September 4 to October 17, when the final will be played at Twickenham.

Matches will be staged in 10 cities and 12 stadia across the country including Elland Road, Wembley, Old Trafford, the Emirates Stadium, Anfield and the Millennium Stadium, which is the only venue being used outside England.

The last time England hosted the tournament was in 1991, when Will Carling's team were beaten in the final by Australia.

Since then, rugby union has turned professional and the World Cup has developed into the globe's third biggest sporting event.

Hosting the 2015 Rugby World Cup is estimated by Deloittes to be worth £2.1billion to the British economy.

The tournament forms a central plank of Britain's so-called "decade of sport", which also includes the 2012 Olympics, the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, the 2014 Commonwealth Games and potentially the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The 2015 Rugby World Cup in England will run from the opening match on September 4 to the final at Twickenham on October 17.

The RFU expect to sell 2.8million tickets for the tournament, with matches to be played in 10 cities across England and Wales.

The announcement is a major boost ahead of England's bid to become host nation for the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Leeds is also bidding to be a host venue for the football competition, should England be successful, and you can register your support by following the link below.