From designing their own playing shirt to walking out at Twickenham during England’s Six Nations next year, students at Thomas Lord Audley School are learning that rugby is so much more than a game.

Launched in 2012, the CBRE All Schools programme has been developed by the RFU to increase the amount of rugby in schools, encourage new players to join local clubs and create a positive legacy through the sport and its core values.

One element is the running of bespoke kit design workshops, delivered by official partner Canterbury and run in conjunction with the RFU for every school in the programme.

Not only do pupils get the chance to design their own rugby shirt but they are also invited to attend England’s Six Nations match with Wales at Twickenham on February 10.

Thomas Lord Audley School is one of 100 new schools and colleges taking part in the workshops in September and October, and four lucky students headed to Ely Tigers RFC on September 27 to get to grips with their initial shirt designs.

Matt Julier, head of P.E. at The Thomas Lord Audley School, said: “We had the year 8 captain, year 9 captain and two joint year 10 captains. The designers did say to us that less is more, although we didn’t really heed that advice! I think we win the most garish design!

“We have other teams at school in other sports and we wanted it to have its own sporting ethos and team name. We were the only school to come up with the name ‘Titans’ that was strong and powerful. We want it to be a rugby legacy.

“It was a real team effort, we didn’t have much input, the boys came up with everything themselves with what they wanted on it.

“It’s something they want to leave as a legacy for others, when we brought the poster back and got all the teams up, years 7 all the way through to year 10, they seemed really excited that was going to be the kit for the future.

“They want to buy their own kit as well, put their names on it, it was a really successful day, really well organised.”

The workshops, which build team spirit and boost creative innovation, see pupils given unique freedom and opportunity to design their school’s shirt, which could be worn by their school’s rugby team for many years to come.

It forms part of the CBRE All Schools programme which aims to take rugby into 750 state secondary schools by 2019.

Steve Grainger, RFU Rugby Development Director, commented: “CBRE All Schools aims is to give as many young people as possible the chance to enjoy all that rugby has to offer.

“Designing their own school kit is an integral part of the programme and helps students understand more about the history, heritage and core values of our great game.

“The kit design workshops, thanks to great support from Canterbury, help the schools understand the pride associated with the shirt and I am sure that these new school teams will feel the same pride for their own shirt as our teams feel when they put on the England shirt.”

CBRE All Schools supported by Canterbury is one of the RFU’s key legacy programmes, set up to increase the number of state secondary schools playing rugby union in England. Visit www.englandrugby.com/allschools to find out more.