Yorkshire schools and rugby clubs get England invite

The morning event is being held at the University of Leeds’s outdoor sports facilities at Westwood and will mark the end of England’s week-long pre-Six Nations training camp in the West Yorkshire city.

Every rugby union club and secondary school in Yorkshire has been offered the chance to attend on a first application received basis.

Admission will strictly be via ticket only in order to safely manage numbers.

England’s interim head coach Stuart Lancaster said: “We are really looking forward to training in front of what I’m sure will be a very vocal and supportive crowd.

“Every international player started off at a club or school – it’s the grounding that helped make them into the players they are – and we should never forget that.

“This is our way of showing our appreciation of the support that they give England.

“I am sorry we can’t hold an open session for everyone to attend. We did look into that possibility and for various reasons, mainly safety ones, it wasn’t possible but we do hope that those who come along have a great time.”

An allocation of tickets has been granted to students and staff from the University of Leeds, where squad members Tom Palmer and Calum Clark studied.

The Rugby Football Union’s director of rugby development Steve Grainger said: “That England are holding a training session like this will be a massive boost to rugby in Yorkshire and I am sure there will be lots of people excited about going to see them.

“Stuart has consistently talked about the team connecting with the rugby community at large and what better way than to give schoolchildren and club members the chance to watch them prepare for the Six Nations.”