Every time George Ford steps onto a rugby field he tries to play like his 11-year-old self, who fell head over heels for the game.

The fly-half calls former England and British Lions coach Mike Ford dad and played alongside his brother Joe, 29, for two seasons at Premiership giants Leicester Tigers. 

Ford, whose grounding came in rugby league, picked up union at Rishworth School, in his early teens and became a record-breaker soon after.

He became the then-youngest player to make his professional debut aged just 16, was the youngest player at the 2011 Under-20 World Cup and won his first major trophy at the age of 19. 

The 26-year-old has matured into a fine Test fly-half with 55 caps but still tries to channel the sheer enjoyment of the sport from his days playing for Yorkshire at school and county age group level.

“Getting developed by coaches, making friends at Yorkshire camps and developing from there was all part of my rugby journey,” said Ford.

“You still speak to those people to this day. You had a bit of a carefree attitude back then and it’s why you fall in love with the game.

“It’s an attitude I try to have to this day, to enjoy it as much as I did as a kid. The grassroots game was huge for me.

“The grassroots is the game, and the future of the game. It’s where the next England internationals and future Premiership players are. It’s nice to carry that on.”

This year NatWest, the Official Banking Partner of England Rugby, is continuing to make it easy for all in the grassroots rugby community to access the sport that they love.

As part of this commitment, NatWest has evolved RugbyForce by introducing the NatWest RugbyForce Invitational fixture for 2019.

All registered grassroots clubs were automatically entered into a draw for a chance to have players from their club invited to receive exclusive access to elite rugby coaching and the opportunity to play a game at Twickenham.

That dream came true for a host of committed grassroots players as they ran out onto the hallowed turf at the home of England Rugby last Sunday.

Teams were coached by World Cup winners Will Greenwood and Maggie Alphonsi, with Ford and fellowex fly-half Paul Grayson offering their support from the sidelines.

Ford remembers his debut at Twickenham like it was yesterday and spoke of the impact the dream appearance will have on the grassroots stalwarts.

“I think it’s a special place to play,” he said.

“It’s such an impressive stadium, when you come out here you realise how big it is. It’s one of the best pitches in the world.

“There’s a lot of history that’s happened at the stadium and you can’t help but remember that when you’re playing.

“You remember that first time as clear as anything. I played in the Middlesex Sevens first but came back with Leicester in the Premiership final as a teenager.

“To see the stadium full in a Premiership final, I was quite young at the time and it makes a huge impression.

“It’s a day I’ll never forget and it will be the same for the men and women who played on Sunday. They grabbed the opportunity with both hands and it was great to see.”

NatWest is the Official Banking Partner of England Rugby. This year NatWest RugbyForce is making it easier for grassroots clubs to access rugby through its NatWest RugbyForce Invitational fixture, offering grassroots players the chance to play at Twickenham. @NatWest_Rugby