World Cup winner Lewis Moody, who adopted the county during the Rugby World Cup, has pledged his support to the Sweet Chariot Tour which gets underway in Berkshire this week (April 20 and 21).

The former Bracknell RFC player, 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 Leicester and England flanker 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 Berkshire and the accompanying events will be a great chance to get more people playing and involved in rugby."

The Berkshire RFU, alongside the RFU, have identified three major events where the cup will be on display together with the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit – Reading RFC, Pangbourne College and Newbury 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 Tuesday at the Princess Square Shopping Centre in Bracknell where the world cup will be on display from 10am – 2pm.

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 Slough RFC for an emerging schools rugby festival before joining the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit at Reading RFC for a touch rugby festival.

On day two of the Berkshire tour the Webb Ellis Cup will travel to the Savacentre in Reading before joining the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit and children from 50 schools from the local area at Pangbourne College for a festival of rugby.

The RAF will then fly the Webb Ellis Cup into Newbury RFC via helicopter for more rugby entertainment with displays and career stands, a regiment climbing wall, the RAF Air-dogs, an RAF parachute display and the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit.

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.

Berkshire Sweet Chariot Tour Itinerary

Tuesday April 20

10am-12pm Princess Square Shopping Centre,

1-4pm Slough RFC

3-9pm Reading RFC (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit. The Webb Ellis Cup will arrive at 5pm)

Wednesday April 21

9am-11am Savacentre, Reading

9am-2.30pm Pangbourne College (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit. The Webb Ellis Cup will arrive at 12pm)

5pm onwards Newbury RFC (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit).