Travel advice to avoid the scrum

England's Red Roses take on the USA at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Friday 22 August in the thrilling opening match of the biggest Women's Rugby World Cup tournament in history.

The match will also feature a vibrant pre-match performance from pop sensation Anne-Marie, best known for her hits including '2002', 'Friends' and 'Rockabye', to kickstart England's biggest ever celebration of women's rugby.

There's also loads happening that day, with a Fan Village in Keel Square in the heart of the city centre, open from 9am, offering a host of food, drink and live music throughout the day. Expect interactive walkabout characters and rugby-themed activities including pass speed and accuracy challenges, jump height tests, and a reaction wall, making it the perfect hub for fans to gather before and after the big match. 

While Keel Edge just across the road from Keel Square, has an exciting rugby themed immersive and interactive light installation, additional seating and a bar.

Ahead of the game, there'll be a colourful community fan parade, accompanied by live music and street performers, leading fans on the short walk across the new Keel Crossing from the Fan Village to the Stadium of Light for the match. Following the match, the day will end with a spectacular firework display over the river at approximately 10.15 pm.

Councillor Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said:  "We're really excited to be hosting the opening match of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 on Friday 22 August.

"We're very much looking forward to welcoming two of the world's best women's rugby teams and the many thousands of fans from home and abroad and we want everyone to have a brilliant time while they're here.

"So our advice is 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.

"I'd also encourage everyone to visit the Fan Village and spend time in the city centre with its fantastic range of cafes, bars and restaurants while you're here."

So what do you need to know in terms of the practicalities around transport, parking and road closures?

TRANSPORT, PARKING AND ROAD CLOSURES

Thousands of rugby fans are set to flock to the city on 22 August to enjoy the opening match of the Women's Rugby World Cup at the Stadium of Light, and many will be first time visitors to the stadium and the city.

And as with any big event, the advice is to plan your journey in advance and to give yourself plenty of time to get there.

With the Fan Village and so much else on offer in the city centre with its great choice of cafes, bars and restaurants, you might want to get there early to soak up the carnival atmosphere and make a day of it.   

Public transport and the North East road network are likely to be especially busy that day and key partners, including Sunderland City Council, Sunderland AFC, transport operators and Nexus have well-rehearsed event travel and transport plans in place help make journeys to and from the city and the stadium as stress free as possible.

This includes a traffic management system to avoid over-congestion on public transport and on the roads.   

TRAVELLING BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

By Metro Metro | nexus.org.uk  

• Stations: St Peters and Stadium of Light, which are 0.3 miles and 0.4 miles respectively from the stadium 
• Line: Green - South Hylton to Newcastle Airport, incudes stops at Newcastle Central Station and Gateshead. Frequency - every 12 minutes, 
• If travelling Northbound after the match, you should use Stadium of Light Metro station, if travelling Southbound use St. Peter's Metro station. Nexus metro services from both stations are wheelchair accessible.
• Metro services from Newcastle are likely to be busy before the match due to rush hour commuters heading home. Beat the crowds and head to the Fan Village in Keel Square nice and early to enjoy the pre-match atmosphere.
• Spectators should expect long queues at both metro stations post-match. Fans are asked to be patient, follow directional signage and listen to instructions from stewards and station staff.
• Spectators planning to park at Metro stations and make their way to the stadium by Metro are advised not to park near stations to the North of Sunderland as services from and to stations to the North of Sunderland are expected to be very busy both prior to and following the match at Stadium of Light.

By Bus  Go North East (www.gonortheast.co.uk/plan-your-journey Traveline bus and Metro info - www.traveline.info

• Bus stop nearest to Stadium of Light - Southwick Road-Howard Street, near to The Colliery Tavern. Buses operating from this stop are wheelchair accessible.
• Routes served - Include 35, 36 and 56 serving Jarrow bus station, Newcastle Market Street and Sunderland City Centre. Frequency - Between one and five per hour depending on route. Price: Single fares capped at £2.50 

By Car

• Please note no spectator parking is available at Stadium of Light. The limited number of accessible parking spaces available at the stadium are now sold out. 
• Drivers should make sure to closely follow directions shared in their booking confirmation and make sure to display their parking pass in their vehicle windscreen as instructed.
• Fans planning to drive to Sunderland should be aware that local road closures are in place on match day, including St Mary's Boulevard in the city centre. Congestion can be expected around rush hour as a result and fans are urged to allow plenty of time for their journey and consider whether to use another mode of transport to avoid the traffic.

Parking

• Limited pre-bookable parking is available at the new Station Car park in Holmeside, SR1 3JE for a flat fee of £7 for the day. The car park also has EV charging. To book and pay for a parking space, contact 0191 5612784 with vehicle registration and payment details.
• Sunniside Multi Storey Car Park, William Street,SR1 1UL will be available on a first come first served basis, along with St Mary's, St Mary's way, SR1 3AH. Please note as the fan zone will be open on St Mary's Boulevard, access will only be available from West Wear Street or from Wearmouth Bridge.
• All other surface car parks will be open and available on a first come basis. For details of city centre car parks: www.sunderland.gov.uk/parking

Match day Shuttle

A wheelchair accessible match day shuttle, which is free to all ticketholders, is in operation with various pickup points along Wessington Way / Alexandria Avenue. Journey time: 5-10 minutes depending upon stop used.

• Pre-match pick up location: Existing bus stops along Wessington Way. This will drop you off at Kier Hardie Way opposite The Beacon of Light
• Post-match pick up location: Kier Hardie Way outside The Beacon of Light
• Operating hours and frequency: Every 10 minutes, from 90 minutes before kick-off until 1 hour after final whistle

 By Private Coach or Minibus

• A small allocation of private coach and minibus parking are available at the stadium in Blue car park.
• Coach and minibus parking must be booked in advance. Parking can be pre-booked on the official Rugby World Cup 2025 parking website. Coach and minibus parking will not be available to book on the day so do make sure to book yours in advance.
• Drivers should make sure to closely follow directions shared in their booking confirmation and make sure to display their parking pass in their vehicle windscreen as instructed.

By Taxi

• Fans looking to travel to Stadium of Light by taxi or rideshare should ask drivers to drop off/pick up on Monk Street / Wearmouth Street.
• Geo-fencing is in place around the  Stadium of Light on match days which limits the locations that rideshare apps can drop off and pick up.
• The closest taxi ranks are located on Union Street, Brougham Street and popular rideshare apps operate in Sunderland.

Road closures

• Thursday 21 August 2025 - Saturday 23 August - From approximately 10am - A183 St Marys Boulevard will be closed in both directions until midday on 23 August. This is to allow the safe operation of the Fan Village in Keel Square. Access to St Marys Car Park will be permitted via diversion.
• Thursday 21 August - From approximately 7pm until midnight on Friday 22 August - Roads around Sheepfolds will be closed with limited access for site traffic.
• Friday 22 August - A1018 Wearmouth Bridge (exact time is to be determined) - northbound lane restriction in place to allow fans to cross the bridge safely on their way to the match.

For more information on getting to Sunderland by train, coach or car and from Newcastle airport visit: https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2025/en/cities-and-venues/sunderland

To buy tickets for the match and stay up to date with all the latest news about the opening match of the Women's Rugby World Cup in Sunderland, visit: Rugby World Cup 2025 - MySunderland