The Webb Ellis Cup, the Rugby World Cup trophy, will be in Birmingham on Thursday September 25 to start to the countdown to matches being staged at Villa Park when the tournament is staged in England and Wales next year.
The trophy will spend the morning at Birmingham New Street Station where members of the public will have the opportunity to be photographed with the cup from 9.30am.
The trophy will then be moved to Victoria Square in front of the Council House between 12.30pm and 1.30pm where it will be accompanied by Will Greenwood, a member of England’s World Cup-winning squad in 2003 and now a Rugby World Cup ambassador.
Pupils from Great Barr School, one of the schools involved in the RFU’s All Schools initiative, will also be in Victoria Square playing tag rugby under the supervision of Adam Blackford, one of eth RFU’s Community Rugby Coaches.
All Schools is an initiative which aims to increase the number of secondary schools playing rugby union and is supported by Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Rugby Partnership as part of the Birmingham Rugby World Cup 2015 legacy.
Councillor Penny Holbrook, Cabinet Member for Skills, Learning and Culture at Birmingham City Council, said: “Hosting two of the Rugby World Cup 2015 games at Villa Park is hugely important for the city and the excellent work being done here to promote rugby union among our schools.
“I am delighted that the Webb Ellis trophy will be here to help us start the one-year countdown and grateful to Will Greenwood for taking the time to come and coach some of our pupils here in Birmingham – young people who could well go on to become the rugby stars of tomorrow.”