IT’S not every day members of a grassroots rugby club get the chance to welcome Grand Slam winners into their homes, but that’s exactly what happened at Monmouth RFC.

As part of a three-day training camp in preparation for the World Rugby U20 Championship, stars of Wales’ triumphant Under-20 Six Nations squad were hosted by families of the club’s junior players.

Wales face New Zealand, Ireland and Georgia in the group stages of next month’s tournament, and the coaching team felt it was a good idea to do something a bit different in the build-up.

It is hoped that not only will the venture benefit the under-20s, but Monmouth’s juniors can be inspired by seeing how international players operate on a daily basis.

“I think it’s the first time that the WRU have tried to do this,” said Monmouth chairman Lloyd Davies, who accommodated Cardiff Blues duo Jarrod Evans and Dane Blacker.

“It’s all about bringing rugby back into the community and taking the guys out of their comfort zone a bit, and they’ve done that quite successfully.

“The guys have been great ambassadors and in terms of a link up we’ve worked very hard to renovate the club and create a nice environment.

“A lot of these guys are used to five-star accommodation at The Vale and the coaches wanted to test them a little bit, and I think it has brought the kids closer together as a team.

“We ticked all the boxes for them for the first time with this type of venture, and I’m sure other clubs will do the same going forward.”

Davies is happy with the health of his club at the moment, with three senior teams and a flourishing junior section growing all the time.

The chairman also believes that having someone like Newport Gwent Dragons and Wales wing Hallam Amos, who played for the club as a youngster, to aspire to can only be good for Monmouth’s potential stars of the future.

“Hallam started at the club when he was about 10,” he added. “He went to the boys’ school and played with us all the way up until he was 16 and then leapfrogged directly into the Dragons, so he missed our youth team altogether.

“But he’s still a great ambassador for the club and comes up with Cameron Watson-Boycott, who is a Welsh student, and they run coaching sessions for us and encourage kids to come along and enjoy Monmouth RFC.

“It’s huge having someone like Hallam go on and play for Wales. Hopefully all the kids get a massive lift from it.

“It’s amazing what an individual success can do for a community club.”