Three Manchester schools today enjoyed a training day with the World Rugby U20 teams from England, Japan and New Zealand.
The Manchester Academy School, Sandymoor High School and the Manchester Enterprise Academy played host as part of a series of community festivals where the young school rugby players had the chance to meet and train with this year’s teams.
The three schools were selected to take part in the day, as they are all participants of CBRE All Schools – a programme run by England Rugby to increase the number of state secondary schools playing rugby.
CBRE All Schools works with schools across the country to provide a bespoke delivery plan and package of resources and support to help embed rugby as a sport and ethos within their school.
The Manchester Academy School welcomed New Zealand who performed their traditional Haka for the 40 school students, and then went on to participate in a rugby skills sessions led by the RFU and local community rugby coaches.
The Sandymoor School welcomed Japan at its ground at the Moore Rugby Union Football Club where the girls and boys played touch rugby with the team who also gave the students training tips.
Later in the day England visited the Manchester Enterprise Academy, which has significantly developed into Wythenshawe Rugby Club with parents now creating adult teams and social rugby for women.
Over 100 members enjoyed a meet and greet with England head coach Martin Haag, and the team followed with two rugby skills sessions led by RFU and local community rugby coaches.
England provided coaching tips and chatted to players once the session had ended.
RFU rugby development director Steve Grainger said: “It’s been great to see all the teams visiting various community rugby activity across Manchester.
“All of the teams have really enjoyed meeting the young players and seeing what these individual schools have achieved as part of CBRE All Schools.
“It’s a key legacy programme for us that is helping to grow the game and introduce rugby to schools and students that may not otherwise have had the opportunity to play.”
CBRE All Schools launched in September 2012, with the aim of introducing 750 state secondary schools, and one million students who have never had the opportunity to play rugby before to the sport, to make school life happier and healthier by reducing anti-social behaviour, enhancing learning and increasing student self-esteem.
There are now 400 participating schools in the programme. Last season more than 130,000 young people including over 42,000 girls were introduced to rugby thanks to CBRE All Schools, of whom many are in the North West of England.
England, New Zealand and Japan are next in action this Saturday from 1:30pm.
