Travel advice issued for Rugby World Cup opener

England are set to play the USA in Sunderland but traffic is expected to be busy

Travel advice has been issued to thousands of fans set to attend the first match of the Women's Rugby World Cup.

England play the USA in the tournament opener at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Friday 22 August.

Sunderland City Council has warned fans that public transport and the local road network will be "especially busy" and measures will be put in place to ease congestion.

Councillor Beth Jones advised those attending was to "plan your journey in advance and give yourself plenty of time to get there".

"It's also worth people who aren't heading for the match being aware that public transport and routes in and out of Sunderland are likely to be especially busy that day," she said.

The council said transport operators had "well-rehearsed" travel plans in place to make journeys to and from the city and the stadium as "stress-free as possible".

Metro train services

Fans have been asked to use the Stadium of Light station when travelling northbound after the match and St Peter's station when heading south.

Metro services from Newcastle are expected to be busy before the match due to rush hour commuters also using the trains.

Spectators should expect long queues at both stations after the match.

Bus services

The nearest stop to the Stadium of Light is Southwick Road - Howard Street, near The Colliery Tavern.

Those attending by bus can use the number 35, 36 and 56 services, which arrive from Jarrow bus station, Newcastle Market Street and Sunderland City Centre.

Former England Rugby player Sarah Hunter visited the Stadium of Light in 2023 when it was picked as the opening venue

There is also a wheelchair accessible match day shuttle bus which is free to all ticketholders.

The shuttle will call at a number of stops along Wessington Way and Alexandria Avenue and will drop fans off at Kier Hardie Way, opposite The Beacon of Light.

Services will run every 10 minutes from 90 minutes before kick-off and until one hour after the final whistle.

Arriving by car

There are no more spectator parking spaces available at the Stadium of Light as they have all sold out.

There are a limited number of pre-bookable parking spaces at the new station car park in Holmeside which will cost £7.

Spaces at Sunniside Multi Storey Car Park on William Street will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Fans arriving by taxi should ask drivers to drop them off or pick them up on Monk Street or Wearmouth Street to the east of the stadium.

The closest taxi ranks are on Union Street and Brougham Street in the city centre.

Geo-fencing will also be in place, which will limit the number of stopping places for rideshare apps.

Road closures

From 10:00 BST on Thursday 21 August the A183 St Marys Boulevard will be closed in both directions.

From 19:00 on 21 August until midnight on 22 August roads around Sheepfolds will be closed.

On 22 August the A1018 Wearmouth Bridge will have restrictions in place on its northbound lane to allow fans to cross safely to the match.