Taking England team on the road is vital in helping the game grow

Iwas fortunate enough to attend the Ashes Test at Headingley last week as a guest of the Yorkshire president, Geoff Cope, who happens to be an old team-mate of mine. We came through the youth ranks together at Yorkshire 60 years ago. What an incredible match. The best I’ve ever seen.

Unfortunately I was there on the Friday rather than the Sunday when the match reached its climax (I listened to the final overs on the radio at a hog roast in Easingwold). But I can still say I was there. It might surprise some to know that cricket, rather than rugby, was actually my first love. I was born less than a mile from Headingley’s gates and I used to go to the ground whenever I could as a small boy.

I was a pupil at Kirkstall St Stephen’s primary school, just down the road, and a group of maybe five or six of us used to go and watch the cricket after school. It was free to get in after 4pm in those days. I can still remember the thrill of walking up Kirkstall Lane to the gates – playing cricket on the boundary during breaks in play, going home at 7pm for tea and bed…

I mention it because I think it’s important not to underestimate the impact on young children of seeing elite sport up close; of being inspired by your heroes first hand. It’s why I’m so pleased that England are playing Italy in their final World Cup warm-up match at St James’ Park next Friday.

St James’ Park is a brilliant venue, right in the centre of Newcastle, right in among all the bars and restaurants. OK, the capacity is only just over 52,000 – which is a good 30,000 less than Twickenham – but it will still produce a brilliant atmosphere.

I was there when Scotland played South Africa during the World Cup and it was great.

I think it’s important that the Rugby Football Union takes England around the country when it can. Grounds like St James’ Park may not generate as much cash as Twickenham but taking England on the road can help the game to grow in other, indirect ways.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that fans in the north, particularly young fans, get to see these games up close. Many of them travel down to Twickenham on match days anyway, but this will open the door to thousands more.

I also think it’s important for the England players and sponsors, and for the RFU and Premiership Rugby Limited, to see the support there is for rugby union in the north.

Yorkshire, in particular, has such a proud history. Historically it has produced more England players than any other county (one in seven England internationals) and it still has a significant base of players. There are more union players in Yorkshire than in the whole of Scotland. In fact, there is more union played in Yorkshire than rugby league.

Unfortunately there just aren’t the elite “touch points” any more. In the past, back when I was competing in the amateur days of the game, there was the county championship. A fine competition. Unfortunately, the north has been rather left behind in the professional era, with the current model making it difficult to challenge the founder members’ cartel.

There is only really Newcastle in the North-East and Sale in the NorthWest who are providing those touch points for kids. It’s not enough.

It’s vitally important that children in the north have the opportunity to watch the very best players up close. You can’t be what you can’t see, as the saying goes.

In a perfect world, I believe every young player in the country would have access to Premiership rugby within a 45-minute drive. That was the target I set for the player pathway when I returned to Leeds in 2012.

Our goal was that every child in Yorkshire should have a regional development centre that would be no more than 45 minutes away from their home. I’m proud to say that is now the case.

Yorkshire now has six satellite areas and their programmes are delivered through more than 15 clubs.

Because of the financial issues and lack of support at Yorkshire Carnegie, the academy is now in the safe hands of the RFU. But Yorkshire’s academy is still developing wonderful players.

Yorkshire had six in the England team which won the Under-20s World Cup in 2016. But where are they now? All of them, bar one, is playing Premiership rugby elsewhere.

It’s a shame. I have written about this before but I think it’s incumbent on the RFU and PRL to create these influential touch points.

We all saw the impact of that historic Test match at Headingley last week. It was particularly special that Ben Stokes came through the ranks in Cumbria and Durham; that Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are Yorkshire cricketers. They are local heroes; inspirations. It’s the same with Jack Leach at Somerset. I think I read that he just renewed his membership at the club.

That game will have inspired thousands of children all over the country. I know that first hand.

Only yesterday, my 10-year-old grandson asked about which cricket club he could join.

It’s difficult to overstate the impact of such occasions. Hopefully England rugby can help to inspire a few more when they visit next week.

Children in the north need the chance to watch the very best players up close