RUGBY fans around the globe only have five weeks to wait before the Hall of Fame opens in the town where the game was born.
The World Rugby Hall of Fame will hold its grand opening on Thursday November 17 at the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum – when 12 as-yet-unnamed legends of the sport will be inducted into the gallery of greats.
It is hoped some of the 12 players will attend the opening of the free-to-enter attraction, which has been designed by Mather and Co – the designers behind the National Football Museum, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and the Olympic Museum.
The Hall of Fame is described by World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, as ‘an immersive experience offering visitors an inspirational journey from the game’s humble origins the present day’, using interactive HD touch-screen technology ‘in an innovative way’.
Visitors will be able to learn about all 121 World Rugby national unions, understand the variations of the sport and discover the moments that created professionalism, Olympic inclusion and the values that unite the sport from community to elite level.
World Rugby Chairman and Hall of Fame inductee Bill Beaumont said: “It is exciting to tell Rugby’s story in the place that carries such unique importance to our sport.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Rugby Borough Council (RBC) to deliver an experience that will become a destination for fans from around the world.”
RBC leader Coun Michael Stokes said: “Rugby is the spiritual home of the game, so we are delighted the town will also be home to a world-class visitor attraction celebrating the sport in all its forms and at all levels.”
Inaugurated in 2006 with the induction of William Webb Ellis and now 120 strong, the World Rugby Hall of Fame celebrates the greatest players and coaches as well as the pioneers and visionaries who have shaped the sport. The exhibition at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum will be it’s first permanent physical home.
Following the official opening, the doors of the Hall of Fame will open to the general public permanently from Friday November 18.
Visit www.worldrugby.org/halloffame for more information.
