A WORLD Cup winner is due in town on Friday to encourage women to try rugby for the first time.

Katy Daley-McLean, England’s captain when they won the sport’s biggest prize in 2014, will be at Winnington Park as part of a campaign to increase participation.

The Northwich club is one of several invited to host a camp for the governing body’s Inner Warrior initiative.

“I couldn’t believe it when they told me who our guest is,” said Paula Bradbury, chairman of girls’ and women’s rugby at Burrows Hill.

“I can’t tell you how excited we are – it’s not bad is it to be taught the basics by a proper legend of the women’s game?”

The Warrior camps are an introduction to contact rugby, and are designed to teach introductory skills like passing, kicking and tackling in a relaxed setting.

Launched by England Rugby two years ago, more than 10,500 women have since attended camps across the country.

Of those, almost a third had never picked up a rugby ball previously.

The theme for 2018 is ‘New Year, new you’, and hopes to inspire women to kick-start a fitness regime by trying a new sport.

Bradbury said: “Rugby is a team game, and we want to showcase what that’s like on an off the field because to us that social element is important too.”

She started a girls’ team at Burrows Hill to give her daughter somewhere to play.

The section has grown since, and Park now field female teams at senior, under 18s, under 15s and under 13s level.

Her work was recognised at the Premiership Rugby Parliamentary Community Awards last summer, when she received a Community Volunteer of the Year prize.

The Warrior Camp at Winnington starts at 7pm, and lasts for 90 minutes.

Food will be provided afterwards.

There is no need to register beforehand, and those wanted to take part should turn up on the night.