IT’S not often that a true sporting great visits a grass-roots club to pass on their expertise, but that’s exactly what happened at Alton RFC last week.

Mention 70 caps for England and World Cup and Grand Slam winner’s medal and you might be thinking Lawrence Dallaglio or local lad Jonny Wilkinson had dropped by. This was even more of a landmark day for the club when England Women’s Rachael Burford came to lead a girls-only rugby day.

The Burford Academy provides rugby coaching specifically to introduce girls to the sport or to sharpen skills of existing players.

Over a dozen local girls aged from 10 to 14 had an inspirational day of training focused on passing, using space, tackling and game scenarios. There were also team-work sessions to get stuck into and, at the end of the day, Alton RFC had a lot of muddy, tired and very happy girls.

Women’s rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. By 2026, it’s calculated that 40 per cent of rugby players will be women.

Alton RFC is committed to bringing women’s rugby back to Anstey Park. Their new women’s section already trains every Tuesday and the club is determined to establish a junior squad for girls aged 11-16. Those interested will find details on the club’s website: www.altonrfc.club

Rupert Vitoria, who chairs Alton’s junior section, said: “Rugby is a sport for everyone. By inviting stars like Rachael Burford to inspire girls to take up the sport, Alton RFC can start to deliver its ambition of creating a strong women’s and girl’s section.

“To move onward, we need more local players, including complete novices, to join us. Anyone wanting to play rugby will find a great welcome at Alton.”