England Could Play More Internationals In Manchester Following World Cup Success

The Rugby Football Union "will consider the option of playing an England international in Manchester following the success of Saturday's victory over Uruguay," according to Duncan Bech of the PA. The hosts' World Cup exit "had already been confirmed by defeats to Wales and Australia" but it was still greeted by a sold-out crowd at Manchester City Stadium. England 2015 Managing Dir and RFU CFO Stephen Brown insisted that "the occasion and the potential benefit for rugby in the north had been noted in the corridors of power at Twickenham." Brown: "It was an amazing success and the welcome we got from Manchester was unbelievable, full of buzz about what was taking place." The RFU was "delighted with the buzz around the match despite England already being knocked out." Brown: "It's a commercial challenge hosting a game in someone else's stadium compared to your own, it's a different kind of arrangement. But the case has been made for us considering more games in the north if and when we can accommodate that" (PA, 10/12).