STUDENTS in Wollaston are celebrating after their school was the only one in the borough to be selected as part of a three-year Rugby World Cup legacy plan.

Ridgewood High School will be a centre for the All School Programme, which aims to raise interest and participation in rugby among young people and make it a popular sport after the World Cup has ended.

As part of the programme, professional England Rugby coach Zach Baker is now based at the school to deliver lessons, coaching and after-school clubs for both male and female pupils.

Steve Ramsey, deputy headteacher, praised the impact being part of the programme has so far had on the students.

“The response has been magnificent with consistently high numbers attending training and participating in tournaments and local leagues at junior and senior levels,” he said.

“Year 9 students Joel Hodgetts, Finlay Njie and Edward Simmonds are all now members of Stourbridge Rugby Club and have been selected for the Black Country squad which is a great achievement.”

As part of the programme, the school will also receive new equipment, staff training and mentoring, and the opportunity to offer young leader courses, as well as being invited to design their own kit.

Ridgewood High’s uniquely designed attire will be on worn by 15-year-old pupil Libbie Russell, who will join 99 other students from across the country, on the Twickenham pitch before kick-off at the England v Italy 6 Nations match on February 14.

Libbie attended a workshop at Stourbridge RFC, organised by rugby kit supplier Canterbury, where pupils took part in an interactive session on the history of the rugby shirt.

They also looked at the practicalities of design, before being given free rein to create a shirt, without the help or influence of their teachers, in which their school rugby team will play in.

At the end of the workshop the final design was signed off by the school and handed over to Canterbury for production.

Mr Ramsey said the school is now focused on driving forward girl’s rugby, with an aim to set up a girl’s after school rugby club.