Enterprising students are flying the flag for rugby in Crewe and Nantwich after being named as ambassadors for the sport.

A quartet from South Cheshire College are helping to raise the profile of rugby through the Young Rugby Ambassador Programme in conjunction with Crewe and Nantwich Rugby Club.

Steph Evans, Alex Gammage, Dylan Bratherton and James Spencer have been tasked with visiting primary and secondary schools and engaging with college students to promote rugby and the range of rugby opportunities that exist locally.

The Rugby Ambassador programme is a national initiative which supports the development of young volunteers in rugby clubs across England in the run-up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Young people, between 16 and 20, at different rugby clubs up and down the country have been identified as ambassadors to get people talking about rugby through art, photography, local history, film and music.

They have also been tasked with trying to get at least two young people from their local community playing rugby.

Steph Evans, 18, of Crewe, said: “We are all really excited to be involved in this project and as well as helping us with our sports courses, it also fulfils the volunteering elements of the course.

“It’s good promoting rugby and this is another sport that I’m finding out a lot more about.

2 “I love meeting new people and taking part in different volunteer activities so I’m very pleased to have been selected as an ambassador.”

The students are all associated with Crewe and Nantwich Rugby Club and are working closely with the club as part of the Ambassador Programme.

Graham Coffey, Head of Sport at South Cheshire College, said: “Our students are pleased to be involved with the Rugby Ambassador programme which is giving them chance to raise the profile of rugby across the area.

“At the moment students are engaging with school children and college students but we hope that this will lead to them being involved in the delivery of rugby coaching sessions and tournaments in the future.”

For more information about sports courses at South Cheshire College, please call 01270 654654 or visit www.scc.ac.uk