ENGLAND and Gloucester winger Jonny May has emphasised the importance of grass roots rugby and the people who sacrifice their time every week to ensure players like him get the best start in the game.

The Chiseldon-born player got his first taste of competitive rugby when he was only five and joined his local club Wootton Bassett rugby club.

The 24-year-old stayed at Bassett right the way through the age groups until eventually moving on to Hartpury College at the age of 16.

May still holds the club close to his heart and although he doesn’t get back as much as he likes to, he is proud to hear that many at the club gather at the clubhouse at Ballard’s Ash to watch his international games on a big screen.

The winger often takes old friends from the club along to games and believes he would not be where he is today if it wasn’t for the volunteers who help to run clubs like Bassett behind the scenes.

“A club like Bassett is everything,” said May. .

“It is the grass roots level. It’s your first experience of rugby and the parents and the volunteers who make it an enjoyable experience for you are the reason why you stick with it.

“It was awesome. We had a great group of guys and it was just a family.

“The guys that I made friends with back then are still friends and I see the guys that I used to play with every now and again.

“I am very pleased to have come from Wootton Bassett and proud that they speak highly of me because they were a massive part of my childhood and a massive part of why I am where I am today.

“At minis I was red-hot, winning player of the season or players’ player, and then I went through a bit of a development stage as a teenager when everyone was growing up before me, but I stuck with it.”