Cambridge Rugby Club’s Rubies put through their paces by England Rugby World Cup winner Rachael Burford

Cambridge Rugby Club’s Rubies were put through their paces by a World Cup winner at the weekend.

Rachael Burford, who won the sport’s biggest prize with England in 2014, visited Ellgia Fields on Sunday to cast an eye over the club’s female players aged between eight and 18.

And as well as putting on an England Red Roses training session, Burford was on hand to answer questions during a Q&A session, with the event being enabled by Cambridgeshire RFU and Eastern Counties RFU.

Eighty-four capped Burford covered a wide variety of different subjects, including sharing her rugby journey from starting to play the sport at the age of six, moving up into age group rugby and adult rugby and becoming an international rugby player.

She also opened up on what it was like to participate in three separate World Cups and the feeling of finally getting her hands on the trophy after back-to-back final defeats to New Zealand.

Burford also discussed battling back from injuries, plans for her upcoming retirement and the life lessons she has learned from rugby.

Meanwhile, from a technical perspective the Cambridge girls took part in exercises aimed at using space and beating defenders, as well as completing an agility training course, kicking with accuracy and passing drills with the Cambridge Rubies coaches.

Tim Hague, Cambridge Rugby Club chairman, said: “We were delighted to have Rachael Burford, an England Red Roses international player and Rugby World Cup winner, visit us at a time when the women’s and girls’ game is growing so fast in England, to inspire the next generation of players.

“She is very humble and down to earth and the girls greatly enjoyed the chance to learn about her rugby journey, experiences and outstanding achievements in such a relatable way.”

The event marked the end of the season for the Rubies, with the new campaign set to get under way for each age group in September.