The Final word

Photos and word by Bill Hadgkiss

Bill was busy on the first weekend of the Tournament as a volunteer in Brighton & Hove and he continued his Rugby journey through to the Final. During the Tournament 6,000 members of The Pack completed 22,832 volunteer shifts and 238,995 volunteering hours. Bill explains what it is like to be part of the Pack for the biggest Rugby World Cup ever... 

After my weekend working as a volunteer at Brighton & Hove, I was invited to be a involved in the closing stages of the Tournament at Twickenham. I was offered a volunteering role at the first quarter final, South Africa v Wales, and the Final!

 

Bill at Twickenham with other Pack volunteers

An amazing experience, much different in scale to the Brighton games with 80,000 fans at each match, but very much the same roles. 

Fans arriving at Twickenham

At Twickenham for the Quarter Final I was part of the team welcoming spectators to the stadium on the shuttle buses from the Richmond Fanzone and Waterloo with the reverse at the end of the match.

Bill at Twickenham

Yesterday at the Final was special. Apart from the occasion and atmosphere, I was located right outside the stadium, south stand, by the iconic ‘Line Out’ Statue where it seemed every spectator wanted photos taken for them in front of the statue, with their national flags, which we gave out to everyone. 

Handing out flags to spectators

Fans arriving at Twickenham

One personal story from the day was reuniting an All Black fan who had been separated from her husband and two friends, without her ticket or mobile phone.

The whole of my experience over the past 12 months as part of The Pack has been something I will always remember, from the initial application, the Brighton Launch at the Royal Pavilion, the training sessions at Twickenham, the Brighton & Hove weekend and finally, yesterday, the Red Arrows overhead just prior to kick off, the roar from the stadium at full time, and a spectacular firework display immediately after the presentation of the Trophy.

The Final!

Thank you for allowing me to be part of the experience. 

Celebrating Rugby in the sunshine

Brighton & Hove celebrated in the sunshine as the long anticipated first weekend of Rugby World Cup 2015 arrived. 

As the Tournament began, the two matches played at the Brighton Community Stadium were played out to enthusiastic crowds watching from the stands and thousands more watching on a big screen on the beach. 

The seafront Fanzone proved popular throughout the weekend as fans enjoyed the action while relaxing on Brighton's famous pebbles. The Pack, some of the 6,000 volunteers selected to assist visitors, were on duty and on form.

There was also plenty to do and see on the main road running alongside the beach, with free activities to try all day. 

At one point, there was even a military horse parade. 

Only a short walk away from the Fanzone, two days of dance and music was performed in the heart of the city's theatre district on New Road, adding to the carnival feel. The Pitch Perfect festival was set up on the walking route from the train station to the Fanzone. 

Hundreds of artists shared their skills, entertaining spectators and passers by in twelve hours of performance organised especially for the Tournament weekend.

After the dramatic events of Saturday's match, which saw Japan beat the Springboks in an unexpected victory, everyone was eager to see what Sunday's match would yield. By the time the final whistle blew, the Samoans had claimed their first win of the Tournament beating USA with the result 24 -16. 

With Samoa's victory following on from Japan's triumph, both the teams who stayed as well as played in Brighton & Hove won their matches. A proud moment for the host city.  

By the end of the weekend Brighton & Hove had claimed a place in Rugby history thanks to the Brave Blossoms mighty match and the warm welcome given to Rugby World Cup 2015 by all in the city. 

The Tournament got off to a splendid start. Now all that remains is to enjoy the drama of the remaining matches as the teams battle it out to the final on Halloween.  

Photo credit: www.snapitnow.co.uk

Rugby’s greatest prize to visit Brighton & Hove

The Webb Ellis Cup is recognised around the world as the greatest prize in the sport of Rugby. On June 10, with 100 days to go until the start of Rugby World Cup 2015, the Webb Ellis Cup set out on a tour of the UK and Ireland.

The Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour reaches Brighton & Hove on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August. By the time the Trophy reaches our city, with under three weeks to go before the two matches taking place in Brighton & Hove, this will be a chance to experience the build-up of excitement as the Tournament gets closer.

The Webb Ellis Cup - Photo credit: www.snapitnow.co.uk

There are two opportunities to see the Webb Ellis Cup in the city.

11am to 1pm, Monday 31 August, at Brighton Museum, Pavilion Gardens

Visitors will be able to view and handle artefacts from the countries represented in Brighton’s Rugby World Cup 2015 matches. The morning offers a fascinating insight into the customs and history of Japan, Samoa, the USA and South Africa, with the Webb Ellis Cup providing an iconic link to the sport of Rugby.

Brighton Museum - Photo credit: www.visitbrighton.com

2pm to 5pm, Monday 31 August, at Yellowave Beach Sports Venue, Madeira Drive

The Webb Ellis Cup will be on display at the seafront sporting venue where local Rugby players will take part in a friendly game of beach Rugby.

Yellowave - Photo credit: www.visitbrighton.com

Keep an eye out around the city on Bank Holiday Monday - the Trophy may well stop off at some of Brighton & Hove’s iconic locations for a photo opportunity or two during the day.

The Webb Ellis Cup will stay in the city and visit the Team Bases of Brighton College and the University of Brighton on Tuesday 1 September; access to these private events is by invitation only. Bank Holiday Monday is the best time to look out for the Trophy.

Did you see the Webb Ellis Cup when it visited Brighton & Hove last year? The iconic Trophy was out and about in the city to celebrate One Year To Go until the start of the Tournament. Have a look at our previous blog to see where it went in 2014.

The Trophy on the seafront in 2014
Photo credit: www.snapitnow.co.uk

Dressing the city

By Bec Britain from Same Sky 

Local community arts charity Same Sky has been charged with 'dressing the city' as we celebrate rugby in September 2015.  We hope to make it a riot of colour for visitors and teams as they explore Brighton & Hove.  We'll be hanging banners at the station, filling shop windows with rosettes, adorning the clock tower and lining Madeira Drive with flags.

Making a rosette

As inspiration, we've taken colours from the four visiting teams flags (USA, South Africa, Japan and Samoa). As these four teams also represent four continents, and us as the host nation the fifth, expect to see the shapes and colours of the continents featuring too.

Celebrating Rugby!

So to get ahead, we've started on the rosettes which will be displayed in shop windows from Queens Road to The Old Steine.  These larger than life rosettes feature oval centres (of course, because the world's not round, it's oval!), and 300 metres of ribbon to be pleated. Our first batch of red, white and blue are done, with two more colour combinations to come. 

Rosettes ready for the celebrations

They also feature a reminder of The Costume Games - the carnival that will accompany the Tournament weekend in Brighton & Hove, your chance to join in the dressing up! 

World class Rugby coming to Brighton & Hove this spring

The first ever Rugby match to be played at the Brighton Community Stadium will be on Friday 20 March 2015. The England U20s take on France U20s in the final in the Under 20s Six Nations ahead of the Seniors match the next day at Twickenham.

Tickets are selling fast as people are eager to be part of this sporting first. Offering an exciting start to the weekend, the match is attracting families and first time Rugby goers as well as long time fans of the sport. The match kicks off time of 7.55pm gives plenty of time to get to the stadium after school or work.

England Rugby 2015 will be using the occasion as an opportunity to test elements of match day delivery and see the football stadium in action as a Rugby venue ahead of RWC 2015 matches taking place in Brighton & Hove later in the year. The U20s will be the first Rugby players to hit the Brighton pitch before two RWC 2015 games taking place on the first weekend of the Tournament on September 19 and 20.

James Chisholm is a key player in the U20s England squad, appearing at No. 8. James is from Haywards Heath and was a pupil at Brighton College. He visited the Brighton Community Stadium on 18 February to have a look around.

James Chisholm (Photo credit Paul Hazlewood)

James said: “I think it’s awesome we are going to come here, it’s a great venue. We want to win and will be giving it our all as always. It’s always a good game when we play France. Hopefully this match will draw people in. If you haven’t seen a live Rugby match before then this would be the one to start with. It’s a friendly atmosphere for spectators and a chance to see top sport at a very easy to get to stadium. I am looking forward to being back in Brighton playing for England on 20 March.” 

James currently plays alongside his brother Ross at Harlequins as well as being part of the England U20s. He previously captained England’s U18s to victory in the FIRA European Tournament and was part of the winning U20s England team in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship.

Tickets are currently still available for the U20s match and can be bought from the Albion Booking line on 0844 3271901. Adult tickets cost £15 and children aged under 18 are £5. There are discounts for students, families and people aged over 65 years. 

Motivational Maggie the Machine

Maggie Alphonsi MBE is passionate about Rugby and the transformational impact the sport has on her life.

Known as “Maggie the Machine” for the power she brings to her game, Maggie started out playing in a London school and rose through the ranks of Rugby to become World Champion this summer.  The England women’s team won the final of the seventh women's Rugby World Cup against Canada in Paris 21 - 9 on 17 August 2014.

After winning the Tournament, Maggie took on the role of Rugby World Cup 2015 Ambassador, along with Lawrence Dallaglio, Will Greenwood and Jonny Wilkinson. The four ambassadors will be sharing their sporting enthusiasm and making official Rugby World Cup announcements in the run up to the Tournament.

Maggie Alphonsi after her team's victory
(Photo credit: RFU archive)

Maggie said: “I visited Brighton’s football stadium at Two Years to Go until Rugby World Cup 2015. It’s an absolutely brilliant venue. Brighton has big games in the Tournament and it’s going to be amazing. The venue atmosphere of a football stadium is different and it will be good to see Rugby on the pitch. Also the Brighton people are the best, lots of fun and sure to enjoy it all.”

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. 

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!"

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)

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