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Prince Harry tries to encourage school rugby drive with Eccles RFC visit

Prince Harry will attend a rugby festival later today at Eccles RFC to deliver a royal training session.

The Prince, an avid rugby union fan, is visiting the rugby club in Salford as part of his role as Patron of England Rugby’s All Schools Programme.

While there, Harry will also help student volunteers run a rugby festival for other younger children from the local area.

A spokesperson for the Eccles RFC told MM: “We are all looking forward to him coming, but it’s all very busy here, getting everything ready and secure.

“We’re all really excited and I bet the kids might be able to teach him a thing or two.”

Harry’s ambition for the programme is to increase the amount of rugby played in state secondary schools.

The third in line to the throne hopes to get 750 more schools to be self-sufficient rugby playing schools by the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Harry is taking a hands-on approach to his new role and will get stuck into some activities, where he will help to train teachers how to teach safe and effective scrum and tackle techniques.

After the coaching session, the 30-year-old Prince will make a fleeting visit to Salford Fire Station where he will meet crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

Harry has visited the fire station once before in August, 2011, when he met crews who were called upon during the civil disorder in Salford and Manchester that same month.

Today Harry will meet these same fire fighters and staff who helped throughout period.

It won’t just be fire crews that Harry will be catching up with, as he will also get the chance to meet young people who are a part of the Community Fire Cadets, as well as some youngsters who are taking part in a course run by The Prince’s Trust – The Prince of Wales’ youth charity.

The Community Fire Cadets encourage young people to attend a fire station each week to take part in fire and rescue activities, which provides them with a better understanding of fire safety.

Image courtesy of UKTI, via YouTube, with thanks.

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