World Cup winner Kyran Bracken is urging rugby fans in Hampshire and the Channel Islands to get involved in the RFU’s Sweet Chariot tour.

The Saracens scrum-half – who retired from international rugby earlier this year – hopes to be reunited with the trophy when it reaches Jersey next week.

So far more than 450,000 people have celebrated England’s World Cup victory by viewing the trophy and visiting the exhibitions staged by the RFU on the 250 venue, four month tour of the country.

“I’m delighted to hear people are turning out in their thousands to see the Webb Ellis Cup,” said Bracken.

“I hope plenty more people take the chance to get involved in the Sweet Chariot Tour in Hampshire and I’m particularly pleased that the trophy is going to my home in Jersey.

“Interest in the game is continuing to grow and that can only be good for the future of the sport.”

The tour spends two days on the mainland – visiting Gosport, Petersfield, Basingstoke and Winchester - before a Royal Navy helicopter flies the trophy to Jersey and Guernsey, returning to touch down on the pitch at the United Services ground in Portsmouth next Wednesday evening.

Gosport Park on Sunday April 4 is the first stop on the tour where 300 young players from the Gosport & Fareham club play a series of matches, before travelling to Portsmouth RFC at Hilsea, where another 200 young players greet the trophy at the Hampshire Under-17 Cup final between Portsmouth and Winchester.

During the afternoon the roadshow – including the RFU’s 40-ton travelling exhibition unit – sets up camp at Penns Place in Petersfield before moving on to a reception at Basingstoke RFC.

On Monday, April 5, the roadshow moves in to the Basingstoke Festival Place shopping centre, with the cup returning to the club in the afternoon where more young players will be testing their Tag Rugby skills, before a civic reception sponsored by Hampshire County Council at the Great Hall in Winchester.

Early the next day the cup will be flown out of Southampton airport by the Navy for a hectic day in the Channel Islands.

On Tuesday, April 6, the Sweet Chariot Tour will be in Jersey, visiting the St Helier shopping mall and attending a reception at the Pomme D’Or Hotel moving to a youth rugby festival at Jersey RFC, before flying on to Guernsey for a reception at the Governors House.

Another rugby festival takes place at the Guernsey National Stadium on Wednesday morning before the next Navy helicopter journey that arrives on the pitch at Burnaby Road in Portsmouth at 3pm.

The Hampshire side take on the Navy that evening with the trophy passed on to Dorset and Wiltshire RFU at half-time

HAMPSHIRE AND CHANNEL ISLANDS ITINERARY

Sunday April 4

Gosport Park 8.30-10.30am

Portsmouth RFC 11am-1.15pm

Petersfield, Penns Place 2-5pm

*Hampshire Schools Dinner, Basingstoke 6-8.30pm

Monday April 5

Basingstoke, Festival Place 9am-1.30pm

Basingstoke RFC 2-5pm

*Civic reception, Winchester Great Hall 6-8pm

Winchester RFC 8.15-9pm

Tuesday April 6

Leaves Southampton Airport 8am

Arrives Jersey Airport 10am

St Helier shopping mall 10.15am-12pm

*Pomme d’Or Hotel reception 12.30-2.30pm

Jersey RFC 3-5.45pm

Arrives Guernsey Airport 6pm

*Governors House reception 6.30-8pm

*Rugby dinner at Old Government House 8.30-10.30pm

Wednesday April 7

Guernsey National Stadium 9am-1pm

Departs Guernsey Airport 1.30pm

Arrives Portsmouth, Burnaby Road 3pm

Royal Navy v Hampshire 7.15pm

Trophy departs 8pm

* All the Sweet Chariot Tour events are open to the public – apart from those marked with an asterisk above.