ON Tuesday, 6 April, the Rugby World Cup Sweet Chariot Tour will be in Jersey- and it will stay in the Island for far longer than in any other town or city since England won the Webb Ellis Trophy back in November 2003.
When it arrives in Jersey in a Navy Lynx helicopter at 10 am, its first destination will be the Royal Square, where it will be on display between 10.30 am and 11.30 am.At 11.45 am it will be escorted to the Pomme d’Or Hotel where it will be the focal point of a lunch which has attracted such attention that the president of the Jersey Rugby Club, Mike Engleman, enthuses: ‘We have been inundated with requests from companies and individuals throughout the Island, wanting to be there.’We are limited to 200, and some people will be disappointed.
It’s a sell-out already, with all the money we raise going to the rugby development officer’s fund.’Meanwhile Cliff Chipperfield has been negotiating with the schools to see it, because from 2 pm it will be at the Rugby Club, under the balcony, at the same time that the primary schools tag finals take place.’Parking will be a problem, and we may have to ask people to park on our new minis pitch, but like everywhere else in the UK, a lot will depend on how many Islanders want to see it.
In the UK, it has attracted so much interest, places have been heaving .
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.’Remarkably, Jersey is the only place that will have it for a day.
For everywhere else, it’s just been a few hours.’Two ‘minders’ from the UK will look after the Cup on its tour of Jersey, before it spends a few hours in Guernsey.
The Hampshire RFU will also send representatives over, who will be at the Pomme d’Or lunch, as will the Lieut-Governor.In the UK, the cup is taken everywhere by a Landrover and a huge covered lorry, which won’t be the case in Jersey, although the States Police have already been notified about its imminent arrival and the need to take good care of the nation’s first major world cup of any kind since England’s football team beat West Germany at Wembley 38 years ago (and that only after the trophy had been lost, then found by Pickles the dog).
Article posted on 5th March, 2004 - 12.00am
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