Honour caps for Tongans in France [1]
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 - 17:02. Updated on Friday, June 13, 2014 - 18:38.
The Australian and Tongan teams received their IRB Rugby World Cup honour caps at an official welcome ceremony at Montpellier's Stade Yves du Manoir on Monday night.
Team captains Stirling Mortlock, Australia, and Nili Latu, Tonga, were also presented with special caps and gift baskets of local produce including olives, pesto, red wine and olive oil.
Montpellier mayor Helene Mandroux, World Cup director Claude Atcher and IRB chairman Syd Millar were among officials who addressed the teams.
Millar thanked the estimated 6,000 volunteers working at the RWC, pointing out that their efforts would help make the tournament a success. "Rugby World Cup would not happen without the volunteer workforce," he said. "We mustn't forget the volunteers in rugby football, not just for the world cup. They're the people that keep rugby football going worldwide, the volunteers." IRB.Com, 04/09/07.