H&B feel the benefit of England's World Cup win

England's historic exploits, allied to the comprehensive media coverage of the event has enticed a number of eager youngsters to join the club.

Assistant coach Rob Hamilton is delighted with the effect the competition has had. He said: "The junior chairman tells me that since the start of the World Cup there's been a considerable interest. We've had an increase of 40 per cent on junior playing numbers. There were nine new players on Sunday alone and there's a huge interest. We do have already systems in place for one team at each junior age group and we're having to create two separate teams for every age group. But we do have enough coaches; we've got 22 coaches registered and we have been putting coaches in schools to try and encourage them to take up rugby.

"The question is to keep these people interested but I don't think it will be a one minute wonder. I'm sure there's always going to be a settling down period but I believe it will be more sustainable. Parents are saying 'I would like my little boy' or indeed 'my little girl to play the game' and I think it will grow. The RFU is very well-organised and I don't think they will lose this opportunity."

Asked if he believed rugby could ever outgrow football in the popularity stakes, Hamilton replied: "It's quite a big ask but I saw in the paper at the weekend for the first time people saying that maybe rugby should be our national game. It does have an advantage beyond football in the sense that there's no trouble at rugby matches - you just enjoy yourself at rugby matches. I don't think football is going through a terrific time at the moment whereas the image of rugby is quite a wholesome image that the World Cup has re-inforced and the RFU has big intentions on building on that."

He also said that any older players interested in returning to the sport to play friendly matches for the third or even a fourth team would be most welcome.

H&B will probably visit Newick in the quarter-finals of the Sussex Shield - a competition which Hamilton admits they "should win" - tomorrow (Saturday) but their opponents have a re-arranged Sussex Two game pencilled in for the same day.