Rugby legend Jason Leonard has been talent spotting in Lewisham to search for the next generation of England stars, writes Simon Mills.

The World Cup winner was at Whitefoot Lane in the London borough yesterday (March 20) for one of the Royal & SunAlliance SEE U @ RUG B coaching sessions.

The Harlequins legend worked with 11 and 12-year-olds from six local schools who have started playing the game in the last year with the help of the RFU's team of Community Rugby Coaches.

Since the 2003 World Cup more than 120 new coaches have been recruited to take the game to new communities throughout the country and supported by the R&SA programme.

England's most-capped international player applauds the initiative to make the game more accessible to children and believes there is a new pool of talent waiting to be tapped.

"Today was another important part of an initiative run by the Rugby Football Union and Royal & SunAlliance to introduce rugby to kids in areas where the sport does not get played much," Leonard said.

"I grew up in Barking and Dagenham, very similar to this part of London where there are not a great deal of pitches and grounds to play on and where soccer is the major attraction.

"We've been able to bring the game to them, take it into schools and let kids know what a great game rugby is, what fun they can have and the friendships they can develop playing together.

"I can identify with it because I'm someone who comes from a similar sort of background as these youngsters, I've been around the world and had a great career playing the game. There's no reason why the next Jonny Wilkinson, Martin Johnson, or even the next Jason Leonard, heaven forbid, can't start doing that from here.

"I know times have been hard for the national team in the last couple of seasons but rugby at the grassroots is still on an enormous high after what happened in 2003, particularly with the kids who came into the game then. They remember what happened, they can identify with the players who were their heroes and they want to be a part of it."

The three-hour session was attended by boys and girls from Sedgehill School, Haberdashers Askes Knights Academy, Bonus Pastor School, Catford High School and Prendergast School from Lewisham, and the St Thomas the Apostle School from Southwark.

The schools are now playing the game with the support of CRC Rex Walker, whose post is joint-funded by the RFU and Lewisham Council.

The borough last year launched it's first community rugby club - the Whitefoot Lane Warriors - who attract around 40 to 50 eight to 14-year-olds to their Sunday sessions.

The coaching clinic was part of a series of events in the SEE U @ RUG B programme and Leonard has also been working with the RFU's development staff in Teeside, Bristol, Liverpool, Norfolk and Leeds so far this season.

Brendan McManus, managing director, Broker, at R&SA said: "We are delighted to lend our support to the SEE U @ RUG B programmes. These development days aim to initiate a new generation into the sport, who otherwise might not get the opportunity.

"This initiative is very important for us and further enhances our long-standing, strong relationship with the RFU."

Royal & SunAlliance also supports the National Youth Rugby Festival at Rugby School in May which includes teams from the SEE U @ RUG B development programme as well as sides from the RFU's 32 Constituent Bodies.

Royal & SunAlliance SEE U @ RUG B events this season: September 20: Great Yarmouth October 16: Teeside November 16: Bristol January 7: Liverpool March 20: London April 3: Leeds May 2: National Youth Festival at Rugby School.