Following its success and the announcement of a third lockdown, the charity is teaming up with the Rugby Football Union to extend it until at least the end of March and ensure a generation don’t lose vital sports skills.

Children across the UK are being helped to feel part of a club and encouraged to keep moving and developing their multi-sports skills. And who better to inspire them than Red Roses legend Danielle ‘Nolli’ Waterman who reached the highest level for club and country.

Nolli’s 15-year international career saw her awarded 82 caps and score 47 tries for England as well as being a stand-out player for her club, Wasps.  She made her England debut aged 18 against Ireland in 2003, becoming her nation’s youngest ever player at the time and went on to represent her country at four Rugby World Cups, as well as Team GB at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The RFU is the first of 11 National Governing Bodies of sport who will be supporting the online club, with Nolli creating a fun session based around rugby union, which will help young people to stay fit and healthy while also supporting their broader personal development.

Sport was a big part of Nolli’s family life, her father Jim was a Bath Rugby legend and her brothers also played rugby.

“I picked up a rugby ball before I would walk and started playing rugby at Minehead Barbarians aged five,” she says. “I loved being active, challenging myself and always competing with my brothers. I played all different sports, which definitely helped me to succeed at rugby.

“I really looked forward to training and playing and I’m delighted to be helping youngsters to stay active through the YST online After School Sport Club, having been a YST athlete mentor since 2013.  It’s so cool to see young people online being creative with what’s available at home. My brothers and I always did that in the garden at home and it helps you to become more creative rugby players.”

Ali Oliver MBE, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “As millions of young people across the country now move back to remote learning, the continuation of Physical Education and daily physical activity will be vital in supporting their wellbeing.

“We know that young people’s activity levels plummeted during the first lockdown, and this has contributed to some of the issues they are now facing – from mental health difficulties and low levels of physical fitness to developmental delays.

“Now with grassroots community sport again on pause, we need to be creative to find new ways of helping children and young people to stay active and have fun playing.

“We don’t want children to miss out because of Coronavirus and that is why we have come together with governing bodies of sport and called on sports stars, to launch one big, online sports club that children can access wherever they are.”