KARANJID SINGH summed up the mood of Soar Valley College when the Webb Ellis Cup attended their morning assembly: “Wicked!”

The 13-year-old was one of 290 students who have represented the Leicester school at sport and had their photograph taken next to the trophy on the latest leg of the Sweet Chariot Tour.

And the school No 8 was not disappointed, saying: “It’s just wicked. I thought I would never see it but here it is in our school. This is something to look back on in 20 years.”

Singh, whose hero is Leicester Tigers’ World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson, added: “Rugby has really taken off in the school. - we have Asians and Whites working together.”

Soar Valley, which has an Asian population of 78 per cent, runs an Under-14 boys team, girls tag rugby and with PE teacher Tony Middleton forms part of a Leicester City boys team.

Acting Principal Mel Berry said: “The RFU are making a tremendous effort by bringing the World Cup to the school and the community. It is operating at grassroots level and creating a tremendous amount of interest in the sport.”

The Cup was also a guest at Hamilton College as part of two days of events organised by Leicestershire Rugby Union and RFU Development Officer Nick Scott, who is based at Soar Valley.

Scott said: “We felt it was important to take the World Cup to local communities and show that rugby is a game for everyone. It was a great few days and my thanks must go to Leicestershire’s sponsors, Holiday Inn, Sturgess Land Rover and East Midlands Airport for their support.”

As well as appearing at Fosse Park Shopping Centre, it attended a day-long festival of rugby for schools and Further and Higher Education Colleges at Leicester University’s Oadby playing fields.

Receptions were held for volunteers from Leicestershire clubs while 2,000 young players had their photograph taken with the Cup and England stars Lewis Moody and Ben Kay at Welford Road last night.

RFU Council Member Malcolm Ross said: “The Sweet Chariot Tour is a fillip for the whole game and it’s been a fantastic few days. Rugby is a game for the whole community. Hopefully those who have seen Cup and been involved will go back to their communities and schools and tell their friends.”

The Sweet Chariot Tour, in association with EA SPORTS, Ford, Holiday Inn, Land Rover and Lucozade Sport, moves on to East Midlands Rugby Union on Friday.