World Cup winner Stuart Abbott, who adopted the county during the Rugby World Cup, has pledged his support to the Sweet Chariot Tour which gets underway in Oxfordshire next week (April 25 & 26).

Abbott, who played an instrumental role in ensuring England were crowned Rugby World Cup champions in November 2003, is delighted that over 450,000 people from across the country have so far come to support the world cup celebrations on the Sweet Chariot Tour.

The London Wasps player said: "We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from rugby fans and people new to the sport since winning the world cup.

“Taking the Webb Ellis Cup around Oxfordshire and the accompanying events will be a great chance to get more people playing and involved in rugby."

The Oxfordshire RFU, alongside the RFU, have identified two major events where the cup will be on display together with the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit – Bicester Village shopping centre and Gloucester Green, Oxford.

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 Bicester Village Shopping Centre from 10am-5pm. However, to give more people the chance to see one of the sporting world’s most prestigious trophy’s the Webb Ellis Cup will go on whistle-stop tour to Cherwell Valley Moto Services (junction 10, M40) where the world cup will be on display for an early morning stop, before travelling to Chipping Norton RFC for a mini rugby festival. The world cup then joins the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit at Bicester Village from 2pm-5pm where RFU President Robert Horner will also be in attendance.

On day two of the Oxfordshire tour Gloucester Green will host the main tour event from 10am-5pm but again to give passer-by a chance to see the Webb Ellis Cup, the trophy will be making an appearance at the M40 Welcome Break Oxford Services (J8a, Wheatley), before joining the Sweet Chariot tour exhibition unit in Oxford where Oxfordshire club presidents and local dignitaries will be present. Primary schools from the area will also take part in a tag festival and rugby world cup parade.

Chinnor RFC will bring the world cup tour to an end in Oxfordshire with an adult touch league festival with teams from Buckinghamshire, Berkshire as well as Oxfordshire all participating.

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.