The newly designed silverware, unveiled recently in London, is making its way around cities and towns that are hosting world cup fixtures when the tournament kicks off later this year. Next week it comes to Northampton and after a day in the Market Square on Monday 26 May, it makes its way to one of the town's friendliest community clubs.
Northampton Casuals RFC is the only grassroots rugby club in the town to have the privilege of a trophy visit, and alongside the draw of the trophy itself the club is planning a host of activities to promote the sport and engage the local community.
From 4.45pm on Tuesday 27 May, local girls interested in rugby are invited to join a free taster session led by experienced rugby coaches - there's no need to book this activity, participants can just turn up and join in.
The trophy itself will be on display ready for photo opportunities, and the club will have food and drink offerings open from 4.30pm, plus some games for younger children and information on how to get involved in rugby.
Club Chairman Nick Smith welcomed the visit of the World Cup trophy: "It's a huge honour for us to host the Rugby World Cup trophy at Northampton Casuals. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate our sport, inspire the next generation of players and to bring the community together at our club to share in the excitement as we build momentum towards the tournament. We're planning a host of activities to involve our members and the wider community in the run up to the World Cup, so look out for more details as the event gets nearer!"
Northampton Casuals RFC is over 100 years old as a club and has always been firmly rooted in the town. The club has been building its girls section for several years, now boasting teams at the Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 levels. This season it also launched a new ladies team for beginners and those returning to the game, with several home and away matches taking place and women from age 18 to their early 50s joining in. The club has over 350 junior players on its books, with league wins for the Under 14 and Under 15 teams, and some individuals achieving representative honours for East Midlands, the Northants and District Alliance and Saints Under 16s. Its long established senior team has a 1st XV competing in the Counties 2 Midlands East (South) league.
To find out more about the World Cup trophy visit or rugby at the Casuals, follow Northampton Casuals RFC on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn