COUNCIL bosses have pledged to fight just as hard for Rugby World Cup legacy funding as they have to secure 2015 tournament matches at Kingsholm.
Gloucester City Council leader Paul James vowed to bring in as much cash for urban regeneration and grassroots sports boosting as possible.
Kingsholm will host four matches in England's World Cup in September 2015.
The city council can now lobby central government for potential multi-million pound investment, to capitalise on the world's third-largest global sporting event. More than two million supporters will flood through turnstiles of English grounds, while the television audience will top 4.2 billion viewers.
The council have also won host-city status, so one competing nation will be based in the county, most likely at Hartpury College.
The Citizen reported on March 16 how hosting a World Cup team in 2015 could open the door to possible central government investment, to fund a new multi-use community stadium to Gloucester.
Mr James said both council and rugby club will do all they can to help the county benefit from hosting World Cup action. He said: "We have worked extremely hard to come this far.
"And now we will continue to fight as hard as we can, to ensure the city benefits as much as possible from this fantastic event.
"The opportunities this can generate for the city will be vast. It's fantastic news, we're delighted it's been successful.
"It's good news for the legacy it will leave."
John Stevens, chief executive of Active Gloucestershire, said: "This is great news for the whole county. It will be the biggest sporting event after the Commonwealth Games and an opportunity to put the sport on the map here."
Mary Bryon, landlady of Kingsholm Inn, said: "It will be brilliant for Gloucester. I think it will attract people from all walks of lives and different areas. Gloucester needs a boost and I am really looking forward to it."
