FOUNDER of Pewsey Vale club Dave Aroskin received the ultimate rugby reward with a personal invitation to England's Six Nations's match against France from President of the RFU Malcolm Phillips.

Aroskin, 44, received the invitation last week and had been invited to the match to honour his outstanding contribution to grass roots rugby.

He said: "This is a chance of a life time. I'm getting a little excited, I think I will get more excited as it gets closer."

The club secretary was nominated for the award by Dorset and Wilts RFU secretary Arthur Bowden.

Aroskin, of Swan Meadow, Pewsey, started the club in 1992 after organising a one off friendly match to raise money for charity at the Pewsey Carnival.

The match was a success and the secretary decided to run a training session.

"We had 18 at our very first session and 25 at our second. There was mass interest to start a team, thus we formed Pewsey Vale Rugby Club."

Since their formation in 1992 the team gained membership into the RFU and the Dorset and Wilts Division Three. They have grown in stature and are currently in Dorset and Wilts Division One, have started a second string side and now have a good youth set up.

At the Six Nations match in February Phillips is giving out a number of awards to local rugby enthusiasts as he is committed to honouring amateurs at grass roots level.

Aroskin will watch the game with the president and is then invited to a dinner with the RFU board's members and the England squad.

"It is a great honour for me and Pewsey Vale Rugby Club. It will be a fantastic experience and I can't wait to go," he said.

The secretary is hoping there will be no repeat of when he went to Twickenham for the World Cup final in 1991 and watched the Aussies lift the trophy.