On Saturday 1 November the Crowborough RFC U11 girls were given the incredibly exciting opportunity to play on the Twickenham pitch, prior to the men’s England international match v Australia.

This was an offer made to the club as recognition for us having one of the fastest-growing and positive girls sections in the region, and in particular this age group, of Under 11 girls.

Highlights were certainly bumping in to Mario Itoje and the other England players in the tunnel, receiving the applause of the Twickenham crowd as they walked around the pitch after playing and playing next to the players as they warmed up (even if Marcus Smith was a bit of a distraction to some!)

Director of Junior rugby, Ben Pollard, was one of two coaches who accompanied the girls on the day:

Many of our Under 11 girls have played since the under 6 age group, and often talk about how much they love being around the club. This was a fantastic reward for their commitment to the game and club.

They were fantastic representatives for us, not just in the way they played, which received many compliments from RFU staff, but also in the way conducted themselves throughout the experience.