The fanzone is free to enter and will be open from Friday September 18th to Sunday September 20th and then again from Wednesday September 23rd to Sunday September 27th. Villa Park will be hosting South Africa v Samoa on September 26th and Australia v Uruguay the following day.

There will be a big screen showing live matches and other rugby content, as well as ‘have-a-go’ rugby activities including skills zones, inflatable rugby challenges and a mini pitch for small-sided games. There will also be fairground rides, covered viewing areas and a range of refreshment stalls.

The fanzone will also play host to organised invitational rugby sessions for local schools, rugby clubs, universities and businesses, plus women’s and girls’ groups, all of whom will benefit from expert coaching delivered by official England Rugby development coaches, as well as local rugby clubs.

Councillor Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Don’t worry if you didn’t get tickets for either of the Rugby World Cup matches at Villa Park because you can still join thousands of rugby fans in Birmingham’s official fanzone to soak up the excitement and atmosphere of these games and other matches during the tournament, including the opening game between England and Fiji.

“This has been a particularly exciting year for Birmingham in terms of major sporting events – something for which we have a strong track record – and I am delighted that in addition to hosting two games at Villa Park, we are also hosting one of just 15 official fanzones for the tournament. I hope that as many rugby fans as possible take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to join others in this nationwide celebration of the sport at Eastside Park.”