WORLD Cup winner Jason Robinson paid a surprise visit to Ellingham & Ringwood after the club received a prestigious award.

A try-scorer in England's memorable triumph over Australia in 2003, Robinson was joined by another former international in David Flatman, as well as ex-England Women full-back Danielle Waterman.

The trio attended to recognise Ellingham's achievement in winning the Old Mutual Wealth Kids First Champions award, which relates to keeping youngsters in the game.

They joined in with training and Robinson was impressed by what he saw.

He said: “This is what rugby is all about – it’s brilliant to see so many happy young faces representing Ellingham & Ringwood.

"Player retention at youth level is vital for the future of the game in this country. The sheer number of players here today shows the club is doing a lot of things right.

Ellingham's Kids First co-chair Andy Stevens said: “It’s a huge honour. Our plaque will take pride of place.

"This award recognises we’re in the perfect place as a club, offering the best experience we can for our increasing number of young players.

"It’s also a great reward for the hard work put in by our amazing team of coaches, who deliver fun and engaging sessions for the kids.”

A select group of under-seven to under-13 players from Ellingham will also have the honour of playing at Twickenham this month.