RUGBY fans got to watch their idols go through their paces during an open training session at the home of England rugby.

Twickenham Rugby Stadium opened its doors to 47 Ormiston Rivers Academy pupils from Burnham, among 15,000 other spectators from across the country, in January.

The pupils watched the England rugby squad train under new head coach Eddie Jones, setting off from Burnham at 7am to reach the stadium on time.

Pupils and staff watched a high energy session, learning the importance of reactive match play during training.

Head of physical education at the academy, Mike Clay, said: “It was a tremendous day and we hope this has an impact on our training numbers, which are already impressive, as we look to finish the rugby season strongly in both boys and girls rugby.”

The trip inspired pupils at the school to pursue their sporting dreams, as they recognised the majority of players had started playing for their school or local clubs, before reaching the top level and playing for the England squad.

Pupils also grabbed the opportunity to take photographs of themselves at the pitch, alongside autographs of the star players during the trip, just a week before the start of the Six Nations.

Teaching and learning support manager Angela Mahoney said: “It was a great experience for our students to watch a training session for international level sportsmen and learn how much commitment and determination is required to reach this level of performance.”