Kick-off times for matches during the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England have been rescheduled in order to tap into a broader global television audience, organisers of the international rugby union tournament have confirmed.
Rugby World Cup Limited, which operates the tournament, and local organising committee England Rugby 2015 said that the kick-off times would be earlier than previously announced to secure “a stronger global broadcast platform.”
The two organisations said that the changes had been made following “consultation with international broadcasters.”
All pool matches that were previously scheduled to kick-off at 17.00pm will now kick off at 16.45pm, while all quarter-finals and semi-finals at Twickenham as well as the final at the London rugby stadium will be shifted from 17.00pm to 16.00pm.
The tournament will run from September 18 to October 31.