Preparations are already under way for the new season at Cockermouth Rugby Union Club.

Members of the club have been hard at work getting ready for the new campaign by completing several off-the-field tasks.

Fourteen coaches have been improving their coaching qualifications by successfully passing the RFU level two coaching qualification. 

This will enable the club to offer the highest level of qualified coaches to train and develop individuals and teams from the ages of six to 18. 

This has been done to meet an anticipated surge in youngsters wanting to play rugby union because of the upcoming Rugby World Cup kicking off in September this year.

The coaching programme has been funded by the Cumbria Foundation, which has also provided funding for family touch rugby sessions held at the club on Thursday evenings. 

More than 30 people, some as young as four years old, have taken part in the the family touch competition.

This wasn't the only touch rugby competition to be held at the club with the recent Cockermouth area schools touch rugby tournament taking place.

More than 150 local school pupils, some playing rugby for the first time, took part. 

It was part of the Schools World Cup Programme, funded by Cumbria County Council, Cumbria RFU and Cockermouth Rotary Club, which is a rolling programme of events to raise the profile of rugby union in the build-up to the World Cup in September.

The club also recently held a NatWest DIY day when the club was redecorated and improvements were made to the surrounding grounds. 

An ongoing programme of work on the pitch to improve it as a playing area has included drainage work as well as reseeding. 

Further improvements are dependant on successful grant applications to improve the floodlights.

First team training restarted last week and any new players are welcome.