THE "Sweet Chariot" roadshow rolled into Sedgley Park this week when the glittering Rugby Union World Cup went on display.

And more than 2,500 people passed through the doors of Sedgley Park Rugby Union Club in just three hours to catch a glimpse of the famous William Webb Ellis trophy.

Also on show was the Calcutta Cup which is played for each year in the England-Scotland fixture.

But it was the World Cup, won by the victorious England squad in Australia last year, which drew the crowds to Sedgley Park's Park Lane ground on Wednesday (Feb 18).

Most of the visitors were schoolchildren who took advantage of the half-term holiday to view the glittering trophy. They paid £5 a time to have their photograph taken alongside the cup, secured in a glass case.

Pictured admiring the cup is seven-year-old Nathan Routh.

Bury mayor Councillor Wilf Davison, a keen rugby fan, was on hand to give the cup a formal welcome to the borough.

He said: "The visit of the World Cup is a superb recognition of the growing importance of Bury in this sport. There are not many boroughs of our size that can boast two good rugby clubs with Sedgley Park performing increasingly on the national stage. And the club's commitment to the youth of the community is first class."

The local authority has teamed up with Sedgley Park RFC, currently knocking on the door of national Division One, in a series of initiatives to promote the game.

Club president Geoff Roberts said: "We estimate that 2,500 people came to see the trophy which was on show between 1.15pm and 4.15pm. There was a constant, quite lengthy queue.

"Of the £5 paid by each visitor to have their photograph taken with the World Cup, a donation will go to the handicapped children's charity, Wooden Spoon."

Commenting on the success of the Sweet Chariot roadshow, he continued: "It was a big thing for the kids. What we wanted from this was more promotion for the club and to get us more wider known. Hopefully, we can attract more people to come along to watch and kids to play."

Ernie Neely, an honorary life member and former Sedgley Park skipper, said: "We were absolutely delighted to have the Rugby World Cup. There has been phenomenal interest in England's historic World Cup victory.

"We have been working very closely with the council's sports development unit to promote the sport in the borough and to challenge the perception that it is something of a posh people's sport. Rugby is an extremely sociable sport which has a broad appeal."