World Cup winner Richard Hill has pledged his support to the Sweet Chariot Tour which gets underway in Dorset & Wiltshire next week.

The former Salisbury 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 Saracens 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 Dorset & Wilts and the accompanying events will be a great chance to get more people playing and involved in rugby."

The tour gets underway at Christchurch Regent Centre on April 8 where the Mayor of the town, Eric Spreadbury, will host a reception to acknowledge the work of the Dorset & Wilts RFU.

The tour then moves to Hill’s former home town of Salisbury, where he also studied at the Bishops Wordsworth’s School. From 10am to 4pm the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit will be on display at Salisbury Market Place.

The exhibition unit will give the public the chance to kick for world cup glory in an inflatable kicking cage, score a try and provide commentary on Jonny Wilkinson’s winning drop goal which clinched the victory at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium.

There will also be several other rugby displays and competitions to participate in and opportunities for the public to have their picture taken alongside the Webb Ellis Cup in front of the backdrop of the Telstra Stadium, giving the impression they were actually at the game.

Hill will also be on hand to help the world cup celebrations begin in Dorset & Wiltshire. The England forward will make an appearance at a private Mayoral Reception being held in his honor at the Salisbury Guildhall at 1pm. But before that he will make his way to Salisbury Market Place.

Rugby World Cup comes to North Dorset

North Dorset will be playing host to a special visitor on April 8. The Webb Ellis Cup, the Rugby World Cup trophy, will be on display in North Dorset as part of the nationwide Sweet Chariot Tour.

The famous trophy will be on display to the general public in Blandford Town Centre at the Crown Hotel’s Sealy Suite on Thursday 8 April, between 3pm and 5.30pm.

The day of World Cup celebrations continue with rugby activities at Shaftesbury Sports College, kicking off with the under 11s Eastern Division Community Tag Rugby Festival for local schools from North and East Dorset.

The teams – Allenbourne School, Hazelbury Bryan Primary School and St. Nicholas School, Westmoore Middle School, Fernbown Middle School, St. Leonard’s Middle School, Emmanuel Middle School, Sherborne Primary, Witchhampton First School and St. Michael’s Middle School – are competing as part of a new community rugby initiative, involving Dorset Police. Police officers in conjunction with the Dorset & Wilts RFU and Dorset Active Sports have been delivering a programme of six coaching sessions in schools prior to the festival. This will be followed by a short presentation game from the Youth Section of North Dorset RFC.

Sergeant Andrea Power, from the Eastern Division of Dorset Police, said: “This initiative has provided an excellent opportunity for community beat officers to spend time in schools and develop further their relations with young people.

“It will hopefully increase positive interaction between us and youngsters. It is also a great opportunity for young people to become involved in such an enjoyable, social activity.

“Dorset Police is very proud to be involved in such an initiative and I hope that we can ultimately build an even stronger relationship with local communities, especially with school children.”

The evening programme will begin at 7.30pm with a special referees’ seminar for coaches and referees presented by international referee Tony Spreadbury and the RFU’s rugby development officer for the South West Andy Melrose.

This will be followed at 8pm by a practical coach education session delivered by ex-England fullback and London coach Paul Hull.

Additionally, Sport England are hosting a workshop for rugby volunteers which is open for anyone to attend.

The Cup will be on show at Shaftesbury Sports College for public photographs from 5.45pm until 9pm.

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’.

Dorset & Wilts tour itinerary

Thursday April 8

9–10.30 – Christchurch Regent Centre. The Webb Ellis Cup.

10am – 4pm – Salisbury Market Place. Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit. Webb Ellis Cup will be present from 11.45-2pm. Richard Hill will be at Salisbury Market Place from 11.45-1pm.

1-2pm – Salisbury Guildhall. A Mayoral Reception for Richard Hill. Private event.

3pm- 530pm – Blandford Town Centre at the Crown Plaza Hotel’s Sealy Suite. The Webb Ellis Cup.

1-9pm - Shaftesbury Sports College. The Webb Ellis Cup arrives at 5.45pm.

Friday April 9

9–12pm - Bournemouth Pier. Sweet Chariot exhibition unit and the Webb Ellis Cup until 11.30am.

12.45pm-2pm – Poole Quay. The Dolphin Centre. The Webb Ellis Cup will be transported by a luxury Manhattan 74 motoryacht courtesy of Sunseeker International to Poole Quay

3.30pm-5pm – Weymouth Pavilion Theatre. The Webb Ellis Cup. The cup will be transported to Weymouth via a RNLI Weymouth Lifeboat.

7pm-9pm – Trowbridge Civic Hall. The Webb Ellis Cup

Saturday April 10

9am-2pm – Swindon Brunel Centre. Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit and the Webb Ellis Cup (the cup will be on display from 9am-12pm)

3.30pm–7pm – Chippenham RFC. The Webb Ellis Cup.