Tuesday 9 December 2014

People Power!

Rugby World Cup 2015 is recruiting 6,000 volunteers to welcome the world to the Tournament next year. More than 20,000 people applied and 10,000 were shortlisted for interviews for the chance to join “The Pack”. 

Selection events, called Try Outs, have been taking place across the country since June and will run until December 2014. The local Try Out took place at the University of Brighton in July. The Try Outs include an exhibition area showing the history of Rugby World Cup and the relevant host city. 


At the Try outs

All applicants were able to browse the exhibition before a 20 minute one to one interview about why they should join The Pack.

Interview time

Bill Hadgkiss hopes to be part of The Pack, he was among the shortlisted applicants and is now waiting to hear if he will be chosen to join The Pack. 

Bill explained why he decided to apply: “I was inspired by the way the volunteers contributed so much to the success of the London Olympics. I also have a love of the sport of Rugby, a game I played in my younger days and that my son still plays for Uckfield RFC. I thoroughly enjoyed the invitation to the local One Year to Go event when the Webb Ellis Cup visited Brighton & Hove. And I am pleased to be able to contribute to this blog at this stage, and hopefully into next year if my application is successful.”

Pack applicant: Bill Hadgkiss

The majority of ‘The Pack’ consists of volunteers from rugby clubs in England and Wales, recognising those who support the game week-in week-out. There are 1,500 places being allocated to members of the public who have previously applied for the roles through the official volunteer selection process. The aim is to make sure everyone has had the chance to be part of one of the biggest sporting events in the world. 

Applicants will find out in early 2015 if they will be in The Pack and training will take place later in the year. 

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Meet more of our bloggers

Passionate about Rugby - Alice and Hannah


Local players: Hannah and Alice are on the right of the Webb Ellis Cup

Introducing Alice


"I originally returned to Rugby, having played 7’s at college, when I came back to Brighton after graduating from university. I have always found that joining a sports team is a great way to meet like-minded, friendly people and having heard good things about Hove WRFC, I decided I wanted to try and play championship level Rugby. 

"Rugby has always been one of my favourite sports to play as it is both challenging and physically demanding, whilst requiring the utmost level of teamwork from one to 15.  It is these attributes of Rugby that motivated me to return to the sport having undergone shoulder surgery to ensure I would keep playing from years to come! 


"I love the fact that you can learn something new at every training session, overcome different challenges during every game, and having recently moved from playing Centres to Fly-half, the learning-curve never ends.
  


"Hosting part of the Rugby World Cup 2015 in Brighton & Hove, not only means the chance for the local Rugby community to be able to advertise the sport and its popularity within the area, but also for the players to feel a part of the largest and most prestigious celebration of Rugby. Personally, having never been to the Brighton Community Stadium before, it is going to be amazing to see international Rugby played within my home town." 

Introducing Hannah


"My initial introduction to Rugby was through my big sister who has been a keen Rugby player for most of her life. From a young age I was all about football, right up until my early twenties when my sister finally persuaded me to attend a training session for her beloved team Hove RFC. Since then I haven’t looked back, I’ve played two seasons with Hove, numerous Rugby tournaments and also attended London & South East Academy. 
















"Having RWC2015 come to Brighton & Hove is really exciting. Having been to the Brighton Community Stadium quite a few times to watch Brighton & Hove Albion play, it will be even better going to watch the sport that I now play and love. This is a great opportunity for rugby in Brighton & Hove and also gives people that may not already follow or play Rugby the opportunity to learn about Rugby altogether!

"Bring on RWC2015 in B&H!"

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Super Heroes

Spiderman, Princess Leia and Astro Boy join Brighton & Hove’s Rugby World Cup 2015 celebrations

By Paul Hudson


Blogger: Paul Hudson
Every Rugby World cup creates new Super Heroes for the sport and 2015 will be no different. Will it be Sam Burgess for England, Brian Habana for South Africa or Ma’a Nono for New Zealand? 

Whatever happens on the field, Brighton & Hove won’t be short of heroes next year as we are expecting hundreds of fantasy heroes to attend the celebrations on Madeira Drive

Cosplay – short for costumed play – has its roots in Japan but is now a huge international phenomenom.  Favorite sources include manga and anime, comic books, video games, and live-action films. 

Brighton Japan - Brighton’s annual festival of all things Japanese - will be returning in 2015 on the same weekend as Rugby World Cup 2015 begins and while Japan’s Rugby team is in the city for their match at the Brighton Community Stadium. With support from Brighton & Hove City Council, we will be linking with Brighton Japan to put on the first ever Cosplay Carnival.

Creative designs
Brighton Japan have pulled together a fantastic group of people and organisations to work on the project including Graham Churchyard, Costume Special Effects Supervisor on the Batman and Harry Potter movies and Paraiso School of Samba, winners of this year’s top award at the Notting Hill Carnival.

Imaginative displays
I’m delighted to be helping co-ordinate this amazing event and will be blogging about it over the next 10 months.

Why Cosplay I hear you say? Brighton & Hove is famous for trying out new ideas and for taking the quirky into the mainstream. The Body Shop and Virgin Records were founded here. The internationally acclaimed show Stomp started here. We are also a city that is known for tolerance and diversity and where you are free to be whoever you want to be. 

Where else but Brighton will you find celebrations for Rugby World Cup 2015 being led by Astro Boy, Princess Leia and Spider Man dancing to Samba beats from Rio?

Madeira Drive: Cosplay Carnival detination
Photo credit Adam Bronkhurst



Tuesday 4 November 2014

Rugby for all ages

Pupils at Balfour Primary School are taking to the pitch with enthusiasm, training for tag rugby championships next year.

In 2013, the Balfour Lions battled through the local, regional and national heats to become National Tag Rugby Champions. In the 2014 competition, the team made it all the way through to the final before being beaten to the top spot on try difference by St Lawrence School from Shropshire.

This year’s young players are hoping to repeat the roaring success of previous teams from the school. The young players are now gearing up for local and county tag competitions.
Balfour pupils on the pitch











Lee Stevenson, teaching assistant and rugby coach at Balfour Primary School, said: “The children are dedicated and keen to be the best they can be. We are extremely proud of our success nationally in the Tag Rugby Championships. Aside from the physical benefits of playing an active game, we feel the children really benefit from learning the core values associated with rugby, that is Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship.”

The Balfour Lions squad of 21 children, aged 9 to 11 years, is a mixed team of boys and girls. Tag Rugby has different rules from the traditional game and involves less physical contact making it more suitable for younger players.

Red and blue tags



Each player wears two plastic “tags”. If the player carrying the ball has one of their tags captured by an opponent, they have just three seconds to pass to a fellow team member or forfeit the ball. Tries are scored by crossing the try lines at either end of the pitch.

The game is a fast paced and fun version of rugby, requiring skill and determination to win. The non-contact speedy nature of the sport makes it suitable for both adults and children, and for boys and girls to play together. Tag rugby is the RFU’s official version of the game for under-7s and under-8s.

Keen to be part of the Rugby experience
Balfour Tag Rugby team will be writing about their experiences in future blog posts. 

Monday 13 October 2014

RWC2015 line up complete

Uruguay Qualify for Rugby World Cup 2015 

  • Final score across two legs, Uruguay 57-49 Russia
  • 20th and final team books place in England
  • Joins Australia, England, Wales and Fiji in Pool A 
The line up for Rugby World Cup 2015 is complete. On Saturday 11 October, in Montevideo, Uruguay beat Russia 36-27 (57-49 on aggregate) becoming the 20th and final team to book their place in England next year.The Uruguay national rugby team, Los Teros, will join Australia, England, Wales and Fiji in Pool A of the world’s biggest Rugby tournament.

Tuesday 30 September 2014

Did you apply for tickets to Rugby World Cup 2015?

Here is the latest news about ticket sales from England Rugby 2015 

  • The General Sale for Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets has now closed
  • All 48 matches will go to ballot in at least one of the four price categories
  • Fans will find out the results of their application in October and remaining tickets will go back on sale in the next phase in November
The general ticket sales window for Rugby World Cup 2015 closed last night following an 18 day application process. Tickets went on sale for all 48 matches, in all price categories, between 12 September and 29 September  2014.

England Rugby 2015 CEO, Debbie Jevans said, "The Rugby World Cup 2015 general ticket sales window is now closed. We are very pleased with the demand for tickets and the number of applications. It is clear that, for many matches or price categories, demand has exceeded supply and every one of the 48 matches will go to ballot in at least one of the four price categories - and it is likely that at least 20 matches will be balloted at every price category. 

"We will be running ballots in the next few weeks to ensure tickets are allocated fairly and will let all customers know the results of their applications by the end of October and before we take payments. We will spend the next few weeks processing the applications, running ballots, ensuring as many rugby fans as possible get tickets and will provide a further detailed update next month.  Any remaining tickets will go back on general sale in November.”


Where are you going to see Rugby World Cup 2015?

Friday 19 September 2014

Webb Ellis Cup in the city!

The Webb Ellis Cup visited Brighton & Hove today to mark one year to go until Rugby World Cup 2015 and the launch of this blog.  The coveted Trophy will be awarded to the winners of Rugby World Cup 2015.

The Trophy was started the day at the Community Stadium and then went to the Royal Pavilion and along the seafront, from the Pier to the Peace Statue. There was also a visit to a Hove beach hut. People stopped to see and crowds gathered wherever the Trophy appeared.

The Webb Ellis Cup started the day at the Community Stadium where two of the 48 Rugby World Cup matches will take place in September 2015.



Next stop was Brighton's Royal Pavilion. The Webb Ellis Cup was the guest of honour at a gathering of local Rugby enthusiasts who will be contributing to these pages (find out more http://ow.ly/BGVGd)

Outside on the Royal Pavilion lawn
Inside the Royal Pavilion's beautiful Music Room
The Webb Ellis Cup then went for a trip along the seafront of Brighton & Hove. 

The sight of the trophy drew crowds stopping for photos, including the Warner family, near the pier. 

Mandy Warner has already applied for tickets for the Brighton and Milton Keynes matches, she said: "It's very exciting that the original cup is here in Brighton. It's not something I ever thought I'd see! We are looking forward to the Tournament next year". 
The Warner family
Brighton Bandstand
Hove beach huts, on the Prom
And inside one of the Hove beach huts




































In the blazing sunshine, the final stop for the Webb Ellis Cup was at the border of Brighton & Hove at the Peace Statue. Players from teams at the Team Bases of Brighton College and the University of Brighton met for Rugby practice on Hove Lawns before the arrival of the famous Trophy.




(Photos copyright www.snapitnow.co.uk)

What is the Webb Ellis Cup? 

  • The Webb Ellis Cup is the Trophy awarded to Rugby World Cup winners.  New Zealand's David Kirk was the first captain to lift the Webb Ellis Cup after his All Blacks defeated France 29-9 in the RWC 1987 Final.
  • The Webb Ellis Cup is made from gilded silver and stands 472mm tall. It measures 319mm at its widest point handle to handle and weighs 4.5kgs.
  • It was made by the Garrards silversmiths in 1906 and is based on the design of a cup believed to have been made around 1740 by English silversmith Paul de Lamerie.
  • The Trophy was bought from an antique shop prior to the first Rugby World Cup and engraved with the words "The International Rugby Football Board" and "The Webb Ellis Cup".
  • William Webb Ellis, after whom the Cup is named, was an Anglican clergyman born in Salford, Lancashire. Legend has it that in 1823, while he was a pupil at Rugby School, Webb Ellis picked up the ball during a game of football and ran with it, thus inventing the game of rugby.
For more information about Rugby’s greatest prize visit: http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid=2061379.html


Countdown to Rugby World Cup 2015 in Brighton & Hove

Today marks one year to go until the first of two Rugby World Cup 2015 matches taking place in Brighton & Hove. The Brighton & Hove matches will be during the first weekend of the Tournament (19 and 20 September 2015).

Excitement is already building in the run-up to the Tournament. To celebrate Rugby World Cup 2015 in our city, local rugby enthusiasts will contribute to this blog chronicling their experiences of waiting for Rugby World Cup 2015’s arrival in the city.


Blog entries will be created by young pupils from Balfour School tag Rugby team, players from Brighton Rugby Club and Hove Rugby Club, ground staff preparing for the matches at Brighton Community Stadium and members of “The Pack”.

Sarah Razzell applied to be part of The Pack and has taken part in the Try Outs in Brighton to see if she will be chosen to be a RWC2015 volunteer. Sarah said: “As far back as I can remember my dad and me would watch the Rugby internationals together, shouting and cheering at the TV! I am so happy to share my excitement with other people. Rugby is a fantastic team sport that encourages individuals to work together to win the match.”

Marcelo Staricoff, Balfour Primary headteacher, said: “We are proud of our success at Tag Rugby, with our pupils winning the National Championships in 2013 and being runners up in this year's finals. We are so excited that Rugby World Cup 2015 is visiting Brighton as it will be so inspirational for the whole school and will enable us to promote our school values through a worldwide sporting event.”

The blog will be looked after by Brighton & Hove City Council communications team.

(Photos copyright www.snapitnow.co.uk)

Thursday 18 September 2014

Brighton & Hove gets ready for Rugby World Cup 2015!

There is now only one year to go until the 8th Rugby World Cup takes place in September 2015. Brighton & Hove is getting ready to countdown to the Tournament. 

See full press release at: http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/press-release/brighton-hove-gets-ready-rugby-world-cup-2015

Monday 8 September 2014

The 8th Rugby World Cup is set to start in England & Cardiff from 18 September to 31 October 2015. 

Throughout Rugby World Cup 2015, 48 matches will be taking place in 13 different venues across 11 cities in England & Cardiff, which include two matches at the Brighton Community Stadium:
  • South Africa v Japan, 19 September - 4.45pm
  • ​Samoa v USA, 20 September - 12noon