THE Rugby League World Cup trophy tour is heading to Calderdale tomorrow.

The cup will be at the Woolshops between 1.30pm and 4.45pm and visitors can have their photograph taken alongside this famous trophy.

The Rugby League World Cup is the next major global sporting event and Calderdale is hosting the Italy versus Tonga game on Sunday, November 10, 2013 at the Shay Stadium, Halifax.

The RLWC trophy will be on stage at the top of the Woolshops at 1.15pm as part of Halifax’s Christmas light switch on. Also on stage will be players from Halifax Rugby League Club, the Faxettes cheerleaders and Halicat. People can also find out more about the Rugby League World Cup event at the Shay and how to get involved.

This is the original World Cup trophy which was commissioned by the French Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII by president Paul Barrière at a cost of eight million francs and then donated to the International Rugby League Board to be used for the inaugural competition in 1954.

Next year, 14 nations will compete for the trophy, which will be presented to the winning nation for the next four tournaments.

While competing in the 1970 tournament, the reigning champions, Australia, put the trophy on display in the Midland Hotel, Bradford. The trophy was stolen six days before the final and remained unseen for the next 20 years. In 1990, father-of-four Stephen Uttley, found the trophy dumped in a ditch near the Bradford and Bingley Rugby Union Club.

This original World Cup trophy was then brought back into use for the 2000 World Cup and was presented to winners Australia.