THE Webb Ellis Cup, the Rugby World Cup trophy, will be on display around Berkshire on April 20 and April 21 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 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).