ENGLAND and Leicester Tigers hooker George Chuter has put Market Rasen & Louth players through their places ahead of the start of the new rugby union season next Saturday.

The Willingham Road club, focused on developing the sport on and off the field, have teamed up with the Tigers to improve standards.

Tigers' Community Team ran a week-long course for the nine to 16 year olds while Chuter worked with the senior players.

Chuter, who trained with Tigers and England prior to the autumn Invesco Perpetual Challenge series and the Premiership season, worked on scrums and mauling off the lineout to assist the red and greens in the forthcoming Midlands Two East (North) campaign.

Market Rasen & Louth is aiming for promotion to Midlands One East this season, which would put it just one rung off the national leagues, although club coach Simon Green is playing down the chances and focusing on broadening the horizons of the club generally.

He said: "Whilst promotion this season is a real possibility should we reach our potential, it is equally important to create a firm coaching and playing pathway right through from our youngest members.

"With better links, confirmed playing style and investment in our coaching structure we would be far better placed to create a sustainable level of rugby.

"Our management is doing everything it can to provide the club with the best resources and facilities, including the recent purchase of two new scrummaging sleds, so our job is to make full use of that to create the best possible playing opportunities from those who want to play purely for leisure through to those who aspire to make rugby a profession.

"In that final respect, closer ties with those at the peak of rugby performance has to be good."

It is the first time Leicester have visited Willingham Road and the course proved a huge success.

Led by former Tigers captain and European Cup winner Ian Smith, seven coaches put 62 eight to 15 year olds, many existing club members, through core rugby skills, set-piece work and personal development both on and off the pitch.

Players also received balls, T-shirts and tickets to a Tigers home game.

The week included a visit from new Tigers signings Rob Hawkins (from Bath) and Peter Bucknall (from Leeds Carnegie) who took part in a question and answer session before signing memorabilia.