England, who are up against Italy, South Africa and Japan, presented their bid at the International Rugby Board (IRB) Council in Dublin, revealing that the homes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal would all be used.
Pool matches would be held in nine cities across England.
"The combined capacity of our chosen stadia is in the region of 700,000 seats. Our target is to sell three million seats, that's a 30 percent increase on France 2007," RFU chief executive Francis Baron said in a statement outlining the bid.
"We will use some of the largest and iconic stadia in the world, venues like Twickenham Stadium (82,000), Wembley (90,000), Old Trafford (76,000), the Millennium Stadium (74,000) and the Emirates (61,000)," the RFU's Director of Business Operations Paul Vaughan said.
"Each of these venues is already equipped with the highest quality facilities, served by a comprehensive travel infrastructure and experienced in hosting world class sporting events.
"The result is a low risk, high reward strategy, capable of providing the ultimate experience for spectators, participants and partners alike."
"At the heart of our bid are passion, love and commitment to the game and its ideals," he said. "Our desire is to broaden rugby's horizons by reaching out and embracing new audiences."
