RUGBY is making a comeback in Burnley after a pitch was created at one of the town’s new schools.

The new Unity College on Towneley Holmes boasts the rugby field and it is thought to be the first school in the town to have a pitch since Burnley Grammar pulled its posts down in the mid 1960s.

Teachers, coaches and officials said they hoped it would mark the beginning of a resurgence in the sport locally.

John Williams, who teaches PE at Unity, said it would provide youngsters with an alternative to football.

“When I first came to Burnley there was very little rugby and it was very football-oriented,” he said.

“Rugby is another avenue to enjoy. If someone isn’t good at football it doesn’t mean they won’t be good at rugby.

In Pendle there are rugby pitches at Pendle Vale College and West Craven High Technology College as rugby league, in particular, is popular and long-established in the borough.

Chris Lowden, the Rugby Football Union’s community coach for Burnley and Pendle, said he was trying to get more youngsters interested in rugby union, especially in Burnley, where there is an established club - Burnley Rugby Union Football Club.

He said: “England has one of the best teams in the world and Lancashire is a very strong region, so there is no reason why Burnley and Pendle can’t become successful in rugby in their own right.”

Peter Hughes, president of Burnley RUFC and a former international referee, said: “Burnley is primarily a football town but we have always had a rugby club and it’s great to have this added support.”