AS part of the countdown to the Rugby World Cup's arrival in England this September, the illustrious Webb Ellis Trophy headed to Tynedale this morning.
Roman soldiers from the Ermine Street Guard took the opportunity to get their hands on the coveted silver gilt trophy when it reached Hadrian‘s Wall.
A five-day tour of the trophy around the North-East started in the Tyne Valley on Thursday with an early morning visit to Housesteads Roman Fort, near Bardon Mill.
While there, the soldiers got to meet Mark Regan, a member of England's World Cup winning squad of 2003, and England Rugby managing director Stephen Brown.
Following the visit to Hadrian’s Wall, the trophy headed to Close House Golf, at Heddon-on-the-Wall, where players from Newcastle Falcons were on hand to pose for photographs with guests.
From there, the tour moved on to Newcastle with the trophy remaining in the North-East until Monday when it heads to Durham.
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