With just over a week to go until the Final of Rugby World Cup 2015, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson says there are still plenty of opportunities to get into the spirit of the tournament.
It has been an unforgettable month already, with Rugby World Cup attendance records being smashed up and down the country. More than two million people have so far attended the 44 Rugby World Cup 2015 matches played in England and Cardiff and over 900,000 fans have enjoyed the 13 matches in London. Fans from around the world have been flocking to official Fanzones in the capital to embrace the tournament's atmosphere. Over 800,000 fans have enjoyed the celebration of rugby in the various official Fanzones to date.
As the competition draws to a close, the next two weekends see the semi-finals and Final at the home of rugby, Twickenham, as well as the Bronze Final at the Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Limited tickets are still on sale for the remaining matches via tickets.rugbyworldcup.com but for anyone without a ticket, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson is supporting a week-long celebration of rugby in Trafalgar Square, starting this Friday 23 October. People of all ages are welcome to enjoy a variety of rugby themed activities, from touch rugby taster sessions to a live screening of the Final on Saturday 31 October. All events in the square are free.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'This has been the biggest and most successful Rugby World Cup to date and the past five weeks have captivated the whole country and rugby fans across the globe. As this thrilling tournament reaches its climax, come down to Trafalgar Square to be part of this greatest festival of rugby!'
The schedule is as follows:
Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October
Rugby World Cup 2015 Trafalgar Square Fanzone
10am to 4pm each day
Trafalgar Square will be turned into a rugby fan's paradise, with a range of rugby-themed activities, sponsor attractions and entertainment. This weekend, the Webb Ellis Cup will also be on display in the Land Rover Trophy Tour Defender as part of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour. There will also be a big screen showing rugby highlights hosted by a live MC; the Emirates 360 Experience; the MasterCard Bus featuring an anthem booth and a 'referee' MC; the Canterbury roadshow with activities including a speed test and diving try attraction; Coca Cola sampling carts; the Dove+Men Care Scrum Together Up and Under Challenge; a Heineken Bar; official Rugby World Cup 2015 merchandise on sale; and the London Sport introduction to Rugby and have-a-go set-up.
Monday 26 October
'Find Rugby' hosted by the RFU
Day 1
10am-5pm
All Schools supported by CBRE. Over four days, the RFU is hosting four 'Find Rugby' days, aimed at encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to get involved in the sport. Former England Rugby World Cup winners Jason Robinson and Jason Leonard and players from Aviva Premiership clubs London Irish, Harlequins and Wasps will join school children and club rugby players at one of London's most iconic locations to play and coach rugby. Trafalgar Square will be transformed into a rugby friendly location with a purpose-built, astroturf pitch and rugby-themed games and information area. The first of these days sees an All Schools event. Launched in September 2012, All Schools aims to increase the number of secondary state schools playing rugby union. It is currently working with 400 schools, with the aim of extending the number to 750 by the time of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Tuesday 27 October
'Find Rugby' Day 2
10am-5pm
O2 Touch. There is a form of rugby for everyone, young and old, male and female and O2 Touch provides a great entry point to the sport, where you can have fun no matter what your ability. The non-contact version of the sport can be played at one of 275 O2 Touch centres and 16 leagues set up around the country. O2 Touch has a target of registering 15,000 players by 2017.
Wednesday 28 & Thursday 29 October
'Find Rugby' Days 3 & 4
10am-5pm
Keep Your Boots On is designed to raise awareness of opportunities to stay involved in rugby through refereeing and coaching. Since 2013 the RFU, in partnership with QBE Insurance, has trained 2,015 new Level 2 coaches via the QBE Coaching Club. Return To Rugby is a programme running in rugby clubs to encourage former players to return to the game, aiming to bring 5,000 players back through specially designed coaching and social rugby sessions.
On Thursday 29 October only the RFU will also showcase Rugby Women - a scheme aiming to attract an additional 10,000 females into rugby. The key focus is encouraging females into the sport with inclusive, enjoyable and informative sessions, whether they’re brand new to rugby, a sofa supporter or a returning player. Over 150 clubs are working in partnership to deliver sessions designed to build confidence in contact and fitness, whilst providing a playing field for women and girls to discover what makes them strong.
Friday 30 October
Rugby World Cup 2015 Trafalgar Square Fanzone
10am to 8pm
Trafalgar Square will be turned into a rugby fan's paradise, with a range of rugby-themed activities, sponsor attractions and entertainment, including: a big screen showing rugby highlights hosted by a live MC; the Emirates 360 Experience; the MasterCard Bus featuring an anthem booth and a 'referee' MC; the Canterbury roadshow with activities including a speed test and diving try attraction; Coca Cola sampling carts; the Dove+Men Care Scrum Together Up and Under Challenge; a Heineken Bar; official Rugby World Cup 2015 merchandise on sale; and the London Sport introduction to Rugby and have-a-go set-up.
Saturday 31 October
Rugby World Cup 2015 Trafalgar Square Fanzone
10am to 8pm
The Fanzone will include a live screening of the Final of Rugby World Cup 2015 from 4pm, preceded by a pre-Final show on stage from 3pm. Other activities around Trafalgar Square start at 10am and include: the Emirates 360 Experience; the MasterCard Bus featuring an anthem booth and a 'referee' MC; the Canterbury roadshow with activities including a speed test and diving try attraction; Coca Cola sampling carts; the Dove+Men Care Scrum Together Up and Under Challenge; a Heineken Bar; official Rugby World Cup 2015 merchandise on sale; and the London Sport introduction to Rugby and have-a-go set-up.
For more information about the Rugby World Cup events in Trafalgar Square please go to www.london.gov.uk/events. For information about other Rugby World Cup 2015 events and activities, including the live screening of the semi-finals at the Richmond Fanzone, go to www.rugbyworldcup.com/fanzones.