MERSEA Island Rugby Club have received a double boost after becoming a Development Partner for the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) and a partner club for Saracens RFC.

The club have been selected as the development partner for a major RFU initiative, at Colchester-based Thomas Lord Audley School.

As a result, the school has been chosen as a priority work area for the RFU over the next five years, through their ‘All Schools’ programme.

The initiative will see Thomas Lord Audley positioned as the “rugby centre of excellence” in the area, benefitting from significant RFU investment.

As part of the initiative, Mersea Island's junior section will work with the school to produce a programme consisting of more than 100 hours of enhanced coaching, comprising over a four-month period.

Mersea Island president Colin Morgan said: "The significance of this development for Mersea Rugby Club is colossal and reflects the enormous amount of hard work which has been done and is done, week in and week out by members across the club.

"For our modest island club to be singled out by the RFU (the largest and most powerful union in world rugby) for participation in this high profile, prestigious programme is an incredible achievement and one which I have no doubt we will look back on as a true transformation event in the club’s history.

"Aside from the obvious benefits in terms of upskilling our own coaching team, the association with TLA will address one of the perennial issues for MIRFC which is how to attract up and coming players away from much larger clubs in the area.

"This programme should provide us with a steady flow of exciting young talent who will have been brought into the MIRFC family at an early age and who will carry the future expectations of the club forward.

"We're absolutely ready to take on this challenge and I hope more and more of you will celebrate the success of your rugby club and come along to see at first-hand what we are building up The Glebe."

Mersea Island and Thomas Lord Audley School are working to be ready for the programme launch immediately after the summer break.

As a result of the partnership, Mersea Island's current coaching team qualifications will be boosted to Level 2.

Meanwhile, Mersea Island have sealed Partner Club Status with Saracens RFC.

As part of their link-up with the English Premiership side, Mersea Island will benefit from coach education and support, rugby camps, match day festivals and experiences and brand association.