A RUGBY legend cheered on students in a rugby game which they played on their new £1m pitch.

Former rugby union player and coach for British Lions, Sir Ian McGeechan, opened Ripon Grammar School’s (RGS) state-of-the-art all-weather 3G pitch.

The artificial grass floodlit playing field is the latest addition in top of the range sporting facilities, funded by Persimmon Homes, from RGS. It will be used for a wide variety of sports, including lacrosse, rounders and athletics training, as well as for girls’ and boys’ rugby and football.

The new development encompasses a full-size FIFA-compliant football pitch and three cross-width seven-a-side football pitches, all with markings and goals on wheels, in addition to the full-size World Rugby-compliant artificial pitch.

The school’s U18s rugby team played St Aidan's and St John Fishers Associated Sixth Form in a friendly match on the 3G pitch to mark the opening.

“A sports field doesn’t make character, it finds it and develops it. The more facilities there are like this, the more the pupils and general community will benefit,” said Sir Ian.