Get close to the Rugby World Cup

Prince Harry Launches The Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour<br>LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 10: The Webb Ellis Cup is seen at the launch of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour, 100 days before the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham Stadium on June 10, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage) — The Webb Ellis cup. Photograph: Samir Hussein/WireImage

Coveted by the world’s best players and admired by millions of fans, the Webb Ellis Cup is one of sport’s most instantly recognisable icons. Its history is remarkable too.

Although the Rugby World Cup championship only started in 1987, the cup was made by Garrard’s jewellers as long ago as 1906.

The Cup is silver, gilded in gold, 38cm tall with two handles. On one handle perches the head of a lecherous satyr; on the other the head of a pure-as-the-driven-snow nymph, forever just out of the reach of the randy satyr.

The cup rested in the vaults of Garrard’s until it was selected for use as the Rugby World Cup trophy in 1987.

In that year John Kendall-Carpenter, the famous England forward and the then chairman of the Rugby World Cup and Bob Weighill, another member of the tournament’s organising committee, visited Garrard’s, the crown jeweller in Regent Street, London.

Richard Jarvis, the managing director of Garrard’s, fetched the cup from the vault and showed it to the two men, who thought it would be the ideal trophy for the nascent Rugby World Cup. Eventually the other members of the Rugby World Cup Organising Committee approved the choice. They named it the Webb Ellis Cup, after the inventor of rugby, William Webb Ellis.

The trophy has since been presented to the likes of Nick Farr-Jones of Australia in 1991, Martin Johnson of England in 2003, John Smit of South Africa in 2007 and Richie McCaw of New Zealand in 2011.

Now British fans can also get close to the historic old trophy as the Webb Ellis Cup is paraded around the UK.

The Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour is traveling through Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and England before arriving at Twickenham Stadium on 18 September ahead of the opening ceremony. Rugby is at the heart of the Trophy Tour schedule, as it engages with more than 100 clubs, organisations and rugby festivals, from grassroots to elite level. As a result, fans everywhere will have a chance to get a close-up of the Webb Ellis Cup, with more than 300 events programmed across the tour.

Prince Harry, Honorary President of England Rugby 2015, and Rugby World Cup 2003 winners Jonny Wilkinson and Will Greenwood launched the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour on 10 June at Twickenham.

The journey throughout the UK and Ireland will engage fans and give them the opportunity to build unforgettable memories as part of their own Rugby World Cup 2015 story.

In every major city along the way, Heineken has taken the trophy out into bars at night, organising exciting events during which people are able to have their photo taken with the cup and enter Heineken’s challenge to win VIP tickets for the Coin Toss Experience.

Use the list below to find out where the Trophy Tour will be heading during the build-up to the tournament. Will you go to see the historic trophy? It’s your call.

Monday 17 August

Tuesday 18 August

Wednesday 19 August

Thursday 20 August

Friday 21 August

Saturday 22 August

Sunday 23 August