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Farewell Tour for Webb Ellis Cup
The Rugby World Cup Trophy was in the Eastern Counties for its last tour before being handed back to the IRB in Dublin. And despite the fact that it is nearly two years since Johnny Wilkinson's drop goal won the World Cup for England, well over 1000 people came along to see the trophy on its visits to clubs in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
On Saturday the Cup was at two clubs that last season had dropped out of the leagues, but who were now rebuilding with renewed confidence for the future. The first of these was Haverhill & District RFC who hold their youth and mini training on a Saturday morning. Players and teams of all ages were photographed, and a good number of the general public came along to see the trophy and find out more about their local club.
In the afternoon the Cup went to Sawston RFC in Cambridgeshire, who despite playing this season in a local Merit Table, field two sides regularly and command loyal and vociferous support from the village community. Their close working partnership with the local College allows them the use of facilities most clubs playing league rugby would envy, and the Webb Ellis Cup's visit gave Sawston the chance to attract more support from the locality on and off the field.
The third stop on a busy day was back in Suffolk at Bury St Edmunds RFC to mark the opening of a new All Weather Training Pitch at the club, funded by the RFU through its Community Club Development Programme. After all the members and players had looked at the Cup and been photographed with it, the trophy stayed at the Club as Guest of Honour at a Value the Volunteer event arranged by Eastern Counties .
22 volunteers were nominated by clubs in the Constituent Body area to receive a framed certificate, presented to them by RFU Council member Brian Williams in front of the Rugby World Cup trophy. The areas of volunteering represeneted spanned playing, youth, minis, ladies and administration, but what they all had in common was the time they give freely to the game, and the debt of gratitude they were owed by their clubs.
After a late finish the Cup was out and about early on Sunday, this time to Shelford RFC for a morning of youth and mini rugby, and a women's game in the afternoon. A steady stream of people were photographed all day, proving that the Webb Ellis Cup has not lost its appeal.
The trophy is to be returned to the IRB in November so it can be taken around the world to World Cup qualifying games for the next tournamnent to be held in France in 2007.
Volunteers: Paddy Johnstone (Beccles), Phil Torkington (Bury St Edmunds), Will Charter (Cambourne Exiles), Eddie Price (Colchester), Roger Battersby (Ely), Frazer Kirk (Hadleigh), Peter Dalby (Harwich & Dovercourt), Andrew Moore (Ipswich YM), Andy Pullinger (Lakenham-Hewett), Nigel Chittenden (Lowestoft & Yarmouth), Colin Buck (March), John Taylor (Newmarket), John & Yvonne Baines (North Walsham), John Hamilton (Saffron Walden), Rory Finlayson (Shelford) Paul Starks (Southwold), Mark Perks (Swaffham), Marcus Findlay (Thetford) John Stanford (Woodbridge), Shay Good (Wymondham)
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