|
|
|
|
|||
| Mike Tindall launches Sweet Chariot Tour! | |||
WORLD CHAMPION Mike Tindall started the four-month nationwide Sweet Chariot Tour of the Webb Ellis Cup this morning by flying with the trophy in a Harrier jet. 
The Bath Rugby and England centre flew from RAF Wittering in Lincolnshire
to to RAF Cosford near Telford with the precious cargo he and his team-mates
won in Sydney on 22nd November last year.
The flight marked the beginning of the four-month-long Sweet Chariot Tour, which
will see the trophy visit around 290 venues from Cumbria to Cornwall, Northumberland
to Kent.
In association with tour sponsors EA Sports, Ford, Holiday Inn, Land Rover and Lucozade Sport, the Cup and the new RFU Travelling Exhibition Unit will be present at 13 shopping centres in cities such as Manchester, Newcastle and Bristol and visit projects in rugby clubs, leisure centres and schools. Mike Tindall MBE, who flew at 650mph, said: “I was delighted to be asked to start the Sweet Chariot Tour, especially in a Harrier jet and thanks to the RAF for giving me such a great experience. “As a squad, we have been overwhelmed by the support we received from rugby fans and people new to the sport alike. Taking the Webb Ellis Cup around the country and the accompanying events will be a great chance to get more people playing and involved in rugby.” The pilot, Squadron Leader Simon Jessett of RAF Strike Command at Wittering – the Home of the Harrier – said: “I am a huge rugby fan and I feel privileged to have flown Mike and to contribute to the Sweet Chariot Tour. But I was a lot less nervous flying him than I was watching the World Cup final!” 
RAF Cosford Station Commander Group Captain Chris Bushell added: “It is a great honour for RAF
Cosford to be asked to play a part in the start of the Sweet Chariot Tour.
“As the largest RAF training station, responsible for training tomorrow’s Royal Air Force, we
recognise as vitally important the role of sport and recreation, particularly representative
sport, not only in terms of health and fitness but also in terms of personal and team development.”
The Cup will visit each of the RFU’s 35 Constituent Bodies, who will arrange a programme of rugby activities which will include social inclusion, volunteering and club-school link projects. In line with the RFU’s IMPACT strategy to provide an enjoyable and accessible game for more people at all levels from the Zurich Premiership to grassroots, it will also be taken to communities currently under-represented in the sport. Standing for Inclusion, Modernisation, Partnerships, Appropriate facilities, Club/school links and Training and coaching, IMPACT is a blueprint for community rugby in England. England head coach Sir Clive Woodward said: “Winning the World Cup has given the whole nation a boost. Taking the Cup around England is a wonderful opportunity to build on the success by encouraging people to get involved in all areas of rugby. “There is a vast amount of work done by a lot of brilliant people at grassroots level and without that the game just would not develop. It is important that they can now use the Cup for activities that will provide the next generation of England players from existing and new rugby communities.” RFU President Robert Horner, who has made social inclusion his theme for his year in office, stressed: “We are particularly keen that the Webb Ellis Cup goes to areas which have previously had little or no contact with rugby and where development work is now taking place.” |
|||
With many thanks to our sponsors: |
|||
- |