Eddie Jones opens Preston Grasshoppers new pitch Photo credit: Mike Craig.

Head coach of the England rugby union team Eddie Jones, officially launched the Preston Grasshoppers new pitch.

The coach made his way to the rugby club, on Lightfoot Lane, where a large crowd of members, sponsors, and the public gathered to see Jones open the pitch.

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The pitch is one of the first artificial rugby pitches in the country and has been funded by the rugby’s governing body RFU.

The launch on Monday 16 January was covered by local and national media and was also captured on video.

Read more: England rugby coach Eddie Jones to open new Preston Grasshoppers pitch

Jones gave a speech describing the Hoppers club and highlighted the role the club has in bringing through up and coming individuals such as rising star Mike haley and highly respected England forwards coach Steve Northwick.

Eddie Jones said: “Hoppers is a grand old club with a great history.”

After the launch, local junior players got the chance to try out the new pitch with Jones giving them a few pointers on the new surface.

Photo credit: Mike Craig. Eddie Jones gives tips to players at Preston Grasshoppers

The Grasshoppers club would like to thank everyone who attended the launch and supported the occasion, especially the volunteers who gave their time to ensure it ran as smoothly.

Jones gave a short speech where he described Hoppers as a ‘grand old club with a great history,’ and highlighted the role of the club in bringing through individuals such as rising star Mike Haley and highly respected England forwards coach Steve Borthwick.

You can watch the video of the launch online.

Did you attend the launch? What do you think about the new Grasshoppers pitch? Let us know in the comments below