Town have confirmed that Portman Road is still in the running to be one of the host venues at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

News that the Blues had put their home forward for use in the oval game’s showpiece tournament first surfaced in 2009, although later that year chief executive Simon Clegg said there had been no subsequent developments.

A national newspaper report earlier in the week named Portman Road amongst a long list of football and rugby grounds — as well as the Olympic Stadium - vying to stage games with rugby chiefs keen to feature venues throughout the country.

A Town spokesman told TWTD that talks are currently in their early stages: “An initial conversation has taken place, no more than that.”

The tournament begins on September 18th 2015 with the final on October 31st and the feasibility of staging games around the regular fixture list is likely to be amongst the issues to be discussed.

If Portman Road is involved in 2015, it won't be the first time the Blues' stadium has hosted rugby. On Monday 1st March 1954 the South Eastern Counties took on the All Blacks while the New Zealanders were on tour in the UK.

On Saturday 18th December 1937 there was an England rugby international trial between the Probables and the Possibles with Prince Obolensky, of whom there is a statue on St Nicholas Street, playing.

Portman Road has staged other sports with a hockey international between Great Britain and West Germany having been played in the summer of 1968.

Photo: Action Images

Keaneish added 16:25 - Sep 12 Seriously.... Where ar these defenders!? Not much forthcoming is there if these are the news stories!!?
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strikalite added 16:25 - Sep 12 WE DO NOT WANT RUGGER PLAYED ON OUR PITCH!!! In September too, jeez....
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tractorblue99 added 16:29 - Sep 12 Would bring money in...
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irishtim added 16:35 - Sep 12 FFS. The way things r going with no new quality centre backs being brought in, we could be nearer the conference than premiership by then.
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MattinLondon added 16:36 - Sep 12 I really like Rugby League as its a quick and exciting game to watch. Union to me is just a bit dull and like watching two long ball teams play football. But I suppose if it brings in money then it will be a good thing. The stands are quite close to the pitch so is there enough space for trys to be scored?
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gypo added 16:41 - Sep 12 Sounds good for area and It might bring money in but we don't want our pitch ruined
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del45 added 16:44 - Sep 12 This goes to show how downhill this club has gone, when we talk about rugger and not what is going on about new players, this club is going from bad to worse regarding news.
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wokingblue added 16:46 - Sep 12 Hurrah! Bring it on
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Kesgraveblue57 added 16:46 - Sep 12 Great! it would be great see players playing for their shirt for that's what missing with the town
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upthewallpaul added 16:47 - Sep 12 We cannot allow egg chasing on the hallowed turf of Portman Road, or posh rugger types in the stands. Not to mention what it will do to the pitch. Clegg shows once again he has no clue about football fans. The fact they don't have grounds big enough to host there own sport says it all IMO.
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Edmunds5 added 16:49 - Sep 12 All this reminds me off is Cesc Fabregas' claims we were like a rugby team when we beat arsenal at Portman Road. "1 nil too the rugby team. 1 nil too the rugby team".., Cesc is still in Colin Healy's back pocket.
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Monarch_Blue added 16:53 - Sep 12 Be great if it comes off...top class rugby superb. Unless either Chambers or Smith suffers an injury, I can't see any loan signings until the end of the month, ie just before the Barnsley game. This will mean that the loan signings would be available for the Christmas games.
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TrueBlueFerret added 16:55 - Sep 12 Well Rugger ME,Sounds like another BallsUp ..Clueless&CLEGGless idea!!!!!!!!
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yorkshireblue added 17:02 - Sep 12 Swansea, Reading and Wigan all share with rugby clubs with code or another. All of these are in the Premiership. Watford share with Sarries, but are higher than us in the league. Cardiff shared last season, and finished above us. And Manchester United seem to be getting on fine despite the odd show-piece game at Old Trafford. Maybe some of you should take your blinkers off and see what a massive boost this would be for the local economy. Am sure the business, and people employed by them, would love a massive influx of thousands of people into the area.

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del45 added 17:03 - Sep 12 PJ for chr--- sake something about football or have PJ, ME & SC all lost their voice's.
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MrCool added 17:07 - Sep 12 Rugby? Oh yes, that game where they don't dive and roll about like they've been shot as soon as an opponent comes within 5 feet of them. It'll never catch on..
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WickedBlue added 17:17 - Sep 12 Finally a real game....
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are_these_the_days added 17:24 - Sep 12 Don't knock it. Rugby is a useful outlet for those who do not have sufficient coordination to play sports. Not sure if we need more non-sports at PR though.
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goat_man added 17:39 - Sep 12 YES!!! Went to the Rugby World Cup in NZ last year and that was superb in terms of atmosphere. Could also be a useful bit of income as well for us :) Will be nice to actually watch some top class players for a change.
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Tractorboy24 added 17:56 - Sep 12 I'd be up for this, however it's concerning that England won the bid some time ago and with 3 years to go seem none the wiser on which stadiums will host the tournament!
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WeirdFishes added 18:06 - Sep 12 If this rubbish is played on our pitch i will be fuming
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MattinLondon added 18:37 - Sep 12 Have to admit I forgot the fact that a few football teams share with rugby teams and this doesn't seem to have a negative effect on their pitch. In the spirit of the olympics then bring it on and lets have a party I do find that some rugby fans are quite patronising towards football but hey never mind.
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casanovacrow added 18:57 - Sep 12 maybe we have to loan eggball our pitch to pay for a CB? :-|
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emergencylime added 18:59 - Sep 12 Well said Yorkshireblue, a great boost for the area. Any damage to the pitch would be temporary and would not damage our pitch's reputation
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Langdon_Blue added 19:13 - Sep 12 It's a shame Mark Venus is no longer around, his freekicks would have been perfect for conversions...
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