SCANDINAVIA came to Cullingworth last Friday.

Representatives of the Norwegian, Danish and Swedish rugby football unions were at Parkside School as part of the Unity Project.

The scheme, launched by the Rugby Football Union, International Rugby Board and UK Sport, involves them working with 17 European nations ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The aim is for this support, which could be grass-roots coaching, developing player pathways or helping to train groundstaff and facilities managers, is to help grow the game in the three countries.

The European visitors shared information in the classroom and watched Year Eight and then Year Nine pupils on the playing field engaging in ruck and maul training.

Patrik Hillelsom, vice-chairman of the Swedish RFU who formed a rugby club in Stockholm ten years ago, said: "Ninety-eight out of 100 boys and girls play soccer in Sweden and don't want to play what they see as a rough, tough sport.

"But rugby teaches respect for the referee, and this Unity project can get us going.

"I would like to see Swedish under-18 and under-19 teams playing matches against some of the Yorkshire districts.

"The question for me is do we concentrate on Stockholm, which has about 20 per cent of our country's population, or do we try and spread the sport to other areas of the country?"

Elisabeth Berentzen, general secretary of the Norwegian Rugby Federation, added: "Kids play every sport when they are younger but it is great seeing them learn rugby.

"When I took the sport up, I gave away penalty after penalty after penalty because I didn't know what I was doing.

"We have two teachers over from South Africa on an exchange at the moment, and they are great.

"I like the fact that they are so strict. The kids might feel intimidated for five minutes, but after that they are full on."

The Yorkshire RFU and the Cumbria RFU were looking after the Scandinavians and after visiting Parkside the entourage moved up to Keswick RUFC.

The idea is that the tutoring, which does not finish until June 2016, will have an impact beyond the World Cup.

RFU chairman Bill Beaumont, the former England Grand Slam captain, said: "We are honoured and excited to be working with these 17 countries on such an interesting and exciting project.

"Through the Unity Project, we hope to work with the countries to capitalise on opportunities presented by the Rugby World Cup 2015 to build a lasting legacy for rugby across Europe."