The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has revealed that it plans to use a number of football grounds as part of its bid to host the 2015 World Cup, which it hopes will create a lasting legacy for the sport.

England's bid, which was presented to the International Rugby Board (IRB) in Dublin on 13 May, would see pool matches staged in nine cities across the country, as well as at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Among the proposed venues put forward by the RFU are Old Trafford in Manchester, Anfield in Liverpool and St James' Park in Newcastle, as well as Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in north London and St Mary's Stadium in Southampton.

Apart from Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium, Glouchester's Kingsholm Stadium and Leicester's Welford Road are the only dedicated rugby venues included in the government-backed bid, which the RFU says will offer a combined capacity of around 700,000 seats and will lead to a 30 per increase on ticket sales compared with France 2007. RFU chief executive Francis Baron said: "In 2015, it will be 24 years since England last hosted a Rugby World Cup and we believe the time is right. The RFU is 100 per cent committed to delivering an outstanding RWC 2015.

"These are turbulent and difficult times but we believe the bid we have put together represents a low risk but high potential return." Former England player and member of the RFU's bid team, Lawrence Dallaglio, added: "This tournament would exceed the players' wildest dreams. It would be about playing in truly iconic stadia, to full crowds of passionate supporters, drawn from the multi-cultural melting pot of England, one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world."

The RFU also hopes that the opportunity to host the 2015 tournament will enable further grassroots development in the sport, with the national governing body aiming to increase participation by 40 per cent by 2017. Venues included in the RFU's bid include: St Mary's Stadium in Southampton; Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester; Welford Road, Leicester; the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, Elland Road in Leeds; and Anfield in Liverpool; as well as Old Trafford in Manchester; and St James' Park in Newcastle.

In addition to hosting pool matches, Twickenham, Wembley Stadium and Emirates Stadium in London and Cardiff's Millennium Stadium will also be used for the finals.