20 April 2005
Rugby World Cup winner Jason Leonard was in Birmingham today to support an inner city school which has a thriving rugby team even though they do not have a grass pitch to play or train on.

Rugby was introduced to Aston Manor School three years ago by PE teacher Aaron Whiles and the school has already enjoyed considerable success, reaching the quarter-finals of the Daily Mail Emerging Schools Festival, providing players to the Birmingham side that won the Development Festival Plate at the Royal & SunAlliance National Under-15 Tens tournament at Rugby School three years ago and three members of Moseley's current Under-17 side.

The development of rugby has been encouraged by the support of Royal & SunAlliance and the Rugby Football Union through the SEE U @ RUG B initiative, a scheme to introduce youngsters to rugby and to encourage links between schools and clubs.

Leonard, the former NEC Harlequins and England prop, has taken up an ambassadorial role with the coaching scheme since he retired from playing which is why the world's most-capped rugby player was in Birmingham today.

Like the Aston Manor youngsters Leonard went to a non-rugby playing school - Warren Comprehensive in Chadwell Heath - with limited sports fields but he went on to enjoy an illustrious career at international level.

"When I started school I didn't play rugby until I was ten," Leonard said. "It was very much a football school but a couple of teachers - Mr Avis and Mr Eyres - introduced rugby and that's where my career started.

"The school I went to was a bit like Aston Manor, it didn't have much in the way of sports fields, but the great thing about rugby now is that through schemes like SEE U @ RUG B and tag rugby, which is a non-contact version of the sport, you can start playing on astroturf pitches.

"The great thing about rugby is that it is diverse game, anyone can play it irrespective of height or shape, it keeps youngsters fit, gives them the chance to burn off some energy.

"It's also a game for all. You only need to hear me open my mouth to realise that I am from a working class background, I went to a comprehensive school, I didn't go on to further education or university but yet I had 16 fantastic years playing rugby at a high level, travelling the world and having a lot of fun.

"Having done that and retired last year I now want to put something back into rugby and make sure that youngsters get as much enjoyment out of it as I did."

Leonard helped Terry Malins and Les Barwood, the two coaches responsible for the SEE U @ RUG B programme in Birmingham to put some of Aston Manor's Under-15 players through their paces in a two-hour training session on the school's astroturf pitch.

Some of the youngsters will be included in the Birmingham side that will take part in the Development Festival at the Royal & SunAlliance National Under-15 Tens Festival at Rugby School on May 1 and 2. Leonard will be presenting the prizes on the second day of the tournament which is being staged at the birthplace of rugby for the third consecutive season.