PUPILS at St Mary’s Church of England Middle School in Belford are being bitten by the rugby bug thanks to the arrival of their first set of goalposts.
Newcastle Falcons scrum-half Chris Pilgrim helped mark the occasion by dropping a goal over the new sticks before passing on tips and signing autographs for the eager youngsters.
Pilgrim, 26, said: “I did not begin to play rugby until I was 10, so it was great to be able to teach boys that age now and pass on my love for what I think is the greatest game in the world. I enjoyed it and I hope they did too.
“Given the fact many of the boys at St Mary’s have only just taken up the game, I was surprised at how good they are already.
“I am sure the new rugby pitch will be the scene of great matches in the months and years ahead.”
The posts were paid for thanks to a fund-raising dinner held last October at the Apple Inn at Lucker, where former Newcastle United and England footballer Malcolm Macdonald and comic Simon Donald were the star attractions.
Head teacher Lynne Brookes said: “It was lovely of Chris to give up his day off to come up to Belford to meet the children and everyone was thrilled to see him here.
“The new rugby is proving to be a big hit. Rugby is a marvellous way to teach some of the skills we all need in life, like the value of working in a team, respect, discipline and it builds confidence in children.”
