Twickenham is ready to become the heartbeat of Rugby World Cup 2015, according to England 2015 chief executive Debbie Jevans.

The famous stadium will host 10 games during the competition, and concerns have been aired about how the town’s infrastructure will cope with the added pressure.

But Jevans moved quickly to dismiss fears, at a special launch event two years ahead of the tournament, claiming the town would be ready, even if the station was not finished.

She said: “We aim to make this tournament the best possible spectator experience it can be.

“We are working closely with the local authorities and Network Rail and I understand the office and retail space at station will not be complete.

“But there is a commitment to upgrading the station into a 21st century station by the way of platforms and the accessibility.”

The former Locog director of sport also said Twickenham stadium would rise to the occasion, although it may look somewhat different.

She said: “Twickenham will play host to 10 games, including the semi-finals and the final.

"There will be a different overlay and the west car park won't look as it does at the moment.

“We are also working with Richmond and with Twickenham with regard to fan zones and dressing the towns.”

She added that kick-off times would be announced in November along with ticket prices.

Richmond Council leader Lord True was quizzed on whether the station would be ready by the big kick-off at a Twickenham Rediscovered Question Time event on Tuesday evening.

He told the floor: “After 18 months of legal wrangling, we are pushing hard to ensure the station will be ready at ground level.

“However it is very unlikely it will be completed in its entirety by then.”

The tournament starts on September 18, 2015, at Twickenham stadium.