THE Webb Ellis Cup, the Rugby World Cup trophy, will be on display around Somerset on April 18 and April 19 as part of the nationwide Sweet Chariot Tour which includes hundreds of events across the county.

The Rugby Football Union hopes that the Sweet Chariot Tour will help raise the profile of the sport both in traditional rugby-playing areas and in regions currently under-represented in the sport.

The euphoria that followed events in Sydney has been underpinned at grassroots level by the RFU’s Rugby Making An Impact Strategy aimed at increasing participation and retention in playing, coaching, officiating and administration.

IMPACT, which stands for Inclusion, Modernisation, Partnership, Appropriate facilities, Club/school links and Training and coaching, is a three-stage blueprint for community rugby in England.

The Somerset RFU, alongside the RFU, have identified four major events where the cup will be on display together with the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit – Weston-super-Mare (Beach Lawns), Glastonbury (Tor RFC), Yeovil (Ivel Barbarians RFC) and Taunton (Taunton RFC).

The Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit will give the public the opportunity to have their photograph taken alongside the Webb Ellis Cup while there will also be several rugby displays and competitions to participate in.

The Sweet Chariot Tour kicks-off on Sunday at Weston-super-Mare with the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit at Beach Lawns from 9.30-12pm. However, to give more people the chance to see one of the sporting world’s most prestigious trophy’s the Webb Ellis Cup will be whisked away by a helicopter courtesy of Westlands Helicopters to St. Bernadettes RFC in Bristol where world cup winner Martin Corry will assist a SEE U @ RUG B development day session held in association with Royal & SunAlliance.

Hosts St. Bernadettes RFC, Old Redcliffians RFC, Chew Valley RFC, Gordano, Bristol Harlequins RFC and schools Luckwell and Hareclive as well as two teams from the Home Office Future Programme will participate in various rugby activities throughout the afternoon.

From there the helicopter will fly the Webb Ellis Cup to Keynsham RFC where the Bristol club will host a ‘Sweet Chariot’ Community seven-aside tournament refereed by international referee Tony Spreadbury and a ‘Jonny Wilkinson’ junior kicking competition.

Next-up on the Webb Ellis whistle-stop tour of Somerset is Norton Hills School in Midsomer Norton where Oakfield Middle School, Corsham RFC, Frome RFC, Midsomer Norton RFC and Norton Hill school will compete in junior rugby tournaments before the world cup will be reunited with the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit in Glastonbury at Tor RFC for the finale of the successful inaugural Super Six tournament.

The Centurions from Bath & North East Somerset cannot be overtaken at the top of the Super Six league, but the spot for second place is still being hotly contested with three teams -- the Mendip Lions, West Somerset Warriors and North Somerset Vikings – all in contention.

On day two of Somerset’s Sweet Chariot Tour Yeovil’s Ivel Barbarians RFC will kick-off proceedings by hosting the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit and the Webb Ellis Cup as well as a under 10s tag rugby tournament with children from local schools participating.

Belinda Evans, who sang England’s national anthem during the Rugby World Cup and is from the local town of Ash, will also be in attendance and will help welcome the Webb Ellis Cup to Yeovil by singing numbers such as ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’.

A Lynx Mark 3 helicopter from the Royal Navy will then fly the world cup to RNAS Yeovilton for a short stop before arriving at Wellington School – the former school of the late John Kendall who was chairman of the International Rugby Board’s steering committee. The Webb Ellis Cup will receive a warm welcome with Somerset rugby referee Tony Pomperoy leading a choir singing ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’.

The tour comes to an end at Taunton RFC where again it will rejoin the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit for the final of the Somerset Blackthorn Cup which will be contested by Bridgwater & Albion RFC and Weston-super-Mare. England assistant coach Andy Robinson will present the prize ceremony.

The Sweet Chariot Tour is entirely free to the public. However, there will be collection buckets for voluntary donations for the tour’s charity, the 'Wooden Spoon’.

The tour takes place in association with sponsors EA SPORTS, Ford, Holiday Inn, Land Rover and Lucozade Sport.

Somerset Sweet Chariot Tour Itinerary

Sunday April 18

9.30am – 12pm Weston-Super-Mare Beach Lawns (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit. The cup will be on display from 9.30am-11am)

11.45-1.15pm – St. Bernadettes RFC. (Martin Corry will be present from 11.45-1.45pm)

2pm – 3.15pm – Keynsham RFC

4pm - 5pm – Norton Hills School

5.30pm – 8pm Glastonbury, Tor RFC (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit. The cup will be on display from 5.45pm – 8pm

Monday 19 April

8.45am – 11am Yeovil, Ivel Barbarians (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit. The cup will be on display from 8.45-11am)

11.30am – 12.30pm RNAS Yeovilton (closed event)

1pm – 3pm Wellington School

3.45 – 8pm Taunton RFC (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit and Webb Ellis Cup)