Fylde Rugby great Sir Bill Beaumont backs grassroots game in time of need

The Fylde RFC great, recently re-elected into his post for a further four years, says community rugby is the lifeblood of the sport and hopes the game can pull together to emerge strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The former England and British Lions captain, who spent his entire club career at Fylde, told the NCA Rugby website: “The community game is the DNA of the sport. Where do international players come from? They come from the community game.

“They start off at a mini-junior section or go and to watch their dad, their brother or their sister play or their mum might be helping out at the club or playing herself.

"A rugby club, to me, is a unique environment. I think it is where people want to go and enjoy themselves. You obviously want to go and play well and participate in a great team game, but rugby clubs are fun places, I always think.

“The first place I went to when we were allowed to go and have a drink in a bar was Fylde. It was the first place I went for a pint… I had too many by the way!”

All three of Beaumont’s sons, Daniel, Sam and Josh, represented Fylde, Josh going on to play for Sale Sharks.

Sir Bill added: “They (community clubs) have an enormous part to play because they are the ones that start the kids off in mini and junior rugby.

“When Stuart Lancaster was coaching at the RFU, all the ball boys were from all the clubs where his players had started and I thought it was a really good concept to actually engage with the community game. Without it, we wouldn’t produce as many rugby players. That is what rugby is about. It has been a breeding ground for many, many good players.”

Beaumont attends Fylde’s home games whenever he can and he believes National League clubs and community clubs can support one another as they look to navigate this challenging period.

“You could never have imagined anything like this ever happening, where the whole world sort of closed down.

"I think what rugby does in a community is bring people together. It helps people. If you are struggling, then you’ll go to someone at the rugby club to help out.

“There’s always somebody there who will have the necessary skills to help you, and that’s not only in the UK but that is throughout the globe as well.

“That is the camaraderie that there is within rugby and it is one of collaborating, one of teamwork and one of people pulling together."