COACHES at Calne rugby club are hoping new members will flock into their junior sections after the success of an innovative youth development project.

Youth coach Matt Snell led a team of instructors into four different primary schools last term to teach the youngsters tag rugby.

He and his team want to inspire the pupils to take up the game by teaching them the basics of rugby without physical contact.

Although the children cannot go training with the Calne youth team until they turn ten, Snell hopes some of the children will take a keen interest in the sport and will one day play for the club.

Snell, who visits each school once a week, said: "Our junior section is very weak at the moment. We only have 30 members and cannot field a full 15 in any of the age groups.

"Calne historically have found it difficult to find new members as we have never tried an recruiting schemes before. We are aiming to generate interest in rugby and hope players will start coming to training.

"It has been pleasing because a few of the children have already asked me about joining the club."

The children, aged between six and 11, learn skills including passing and catching, playing as a team and attacking and defending, without the fear of injury through contact.

Chairman Shaun Lambourne and Snell first dreamed about the scheme two years ago at a board meeting to discuss the club's dwindling membership numbers.

Snell said: "No one had ever tried recruitment programs before as we have always waited for players to contact us.

"We agreed at the board meeting that if we did not do anything the club would fold. We wrote to primary schools offering them free tag rugby coaching and the response was great."

The club have received funding of £1,152 to aid their Youth Development Project from Sport England and Calne Town Council.

After a successful start to the scheme Snell, who has been running the course for the past two months, is now looking to extend the project.

He said: "We are obviously delighted with the donations and are very grateful. It's great to see that the development of young people is taken so seriously at both the national and local level."

Snell is pleased that primary schools are taking in interest in tag rugby. So far the coaches have visited St Dunstan, St Edmonds, Heddington and Hilmarton Primary.

Hilmarton's Physical Education Coordinator, Claire Sowter said: "The children have gained a positive introduction to rugby from the opportunity of having expert coaches visiting.

"For some of the children this was their first experience of this sport and many of them are now very keen to continue."

Snell and his team are now looking to expand the scheme and are planning to teach tag-rugby at Fynamore and Derry Hill Primary Schools next term. Priestly and Holy Trinity have also expressed interest.

The coach has also written to John Bentley School in Calne and is in the process of arranging lessons for the older children.

Sport England donated £612 which will be spent on new equipment from balls to tag belts.

The other £540 was given to the club by Calne Town Council and will be invested into the coaches' training.