"The Pack" will be the face of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the initial stage of its application process saw more than 20,000 people apply to become a member of the volunteer group.

Of these 20,000, half will be invited to take part in selection events known as Try Outs, which will be held between June and December in every Rugby World Cup 2015 host city, beginning at the home of Saracens Rugby from now until June 18.

The Try Outs will allow potential members of "The Pack" to find out more about Rugby World Cup 2015, while also taking part in a one-to-one interview.

These interviews will be used to determine the candidate's suitability for the role in which they have applied for, whilst also giving them a chance to learn more about the Rugby World Cup itself.

There will be a range of roles throughout the lead up and delivery of the tournament, although volunteers will mainly be focused on the transport and spectator services.

There will be a small number of specialist roles including in media operations, accreditation and workforce operations.

Chief executive of England Rugby 2015, Debbie Jevans, was joined by the Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, at the home of Saracens Rugby for the first phase of Try Outs
©England 2015



"'The Pack' will be the faces of the tournament and we're extremely thankful to all those who have volunteered their time to take part in the process," said Debbie Jevans, chief executive of England Rugby 2015.

"We have had a fantastic level of interest and applications for the programme, which shows the great level of enthusiasm and excitement for RWC 2015.

"This next phase in the Try Outs process will ensure that members of 'The Pack' hold and display the shared values of rugby.

"They will also have the opportunity to learn about the tournament and the role of "The Pack".

"We look forward to hosting Try Outs in every host city this year and finding 'The Pack' who will make RWC 2015 truly special."

The first set of Try Outs coincided with National Volunteers' Week, from June 1 to 7, an annual celebration of the contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK.

Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, was at Saracens' Allianz Park yesterday to watch the Try Outs first-hand.

"Volunteers played a vital role in London 2012 and Rugby World Cup 2015 will be another fantastic opportunity to get thousands of people involved in welcoming the world to England and to Rugby next year," he said.

"It was fantastic to meet some of the brilliant candidates at the home of Saracens Rugby this week and to see the Try Out in action and there was a real sense of excitement about the tournament."

The tournament will feature 20 teams playing 48 games from September 18 to October 31 2015. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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