An initial agreement of collaboration was made at a "Host Cities Forum" meeting which took place in London, which saw over 30 representatives from across England 2018 Candidate Host Cities including Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sunderland.

The agenda for meeting included a discussion with representatives of the Football Association, plus the Rugby Football Union, England and Wales Cricket Board, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and UK Sport to consider plans for future major events, including the 2015 Rugby World Cup and 2019 Cricket World Cup.

The meeting resulted in the city representatives deciding to collaborate on bidding for and hosting future major events including sharing details of local legacy plans.

As well as the detailed discussion between the cities - the day also included a tour of the Olympic Park in East London to view the progress on the new legacy venues available to host major events after 2012, including the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatic Centre, Indoor Arena and Velopark.



Iain Edmondson, the head of Events for London, said: "This was a major milestone for major events across the country – the agreement to work together is a critical step towards England and the UK making the most of major event opportunities in the future.

"Although the 2018 bid for England was not successful we are keenly aware that there must be some real tangible benefits and a positive outcome from all the hard work and investment that was made."

Steve Town, the interim Head of Sport for Birmingham Sports and Events added: "This collaboration shows a real determination from the cities to move forward and to learn from previous bids.

"By working closer together I am sure we will be able to make the most of bidding for, as well as hosting, major events."

As well as attending future meetings the cities will also be working with the FA to ensure some of the plans for football development in local areas are delivered despite failing to secure the 2018 tournament.

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