THE Webb Ellis Cup, the Rugby World Cup trophy, will be on display around Oxfordshire on April 25 and April 26 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 Oxfordshire RFU, alongside the RFU, have identified two major events where the cup will be on display together with the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit – Bicester Village shopping centre and Gloucester Green, Oxford.

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 Sunday at Bicester Village Shopping Centre from 10am-5pm. 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 Cherwell Valley Moto Services (junction 10, M40) where the world cup will be on display for an early morning stop, before travelling to Chipping Norton RFC for a mini rugby festival. The world cup then joins the Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit at Bicester Village from 2pm-5pm where RFU President Robert Horner will also be in attendance.

On day two of the Oxfordshire tour Gloucester Green will host the main tour event from 10am-5pm but again to give passer-by a chance to see the Webb Ellis Cup, the trophy will be making an appearance at the M40 Welcome Break Oxford Services (J8a, Wheatley), before joining the Sweet Chariot tour exhibition unit in Oxford where Oxfordshire club presidents and local dignitaries will be present. Primary schools from the area will also take part in a tag festival and rugby world cup parade.

Chinnor RFC will bring the world cup tour to an end in Oxfordshire with an adult touch league festival with teams from Buckinghamshire, Berkshire as well as Oxfordshire all participating.

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.

Oxfordshire Sweet Chariot Tour Itinerary

Sunday April 25

10am-5pm Bicester Village (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit. The Webb Ellis Cup will arrive at 2pm

8am-10am Moto Services, Cherwell Valley

11am-1pm Chipping Norton RFC

Monday April 26

10.30am-5pm Gloucester Green, Oxford (Sweet Chariot Tour exhibition unit and Webb Ellis Cup)

12pm-4.30pm Primary Schools tag festival in close proximity to Gloucester Green.

6pm-8pm – Chinnor RFC