SALE Sharks have handed 10 budding rugby stars their big chance to shine this weekend at the Millennium Stadium.

Pupils from Charlestown Community Primary School in Blackley have been chosen to represent Sharks in a game of tag rugby on the pitch at half-time during the first team's EDF Energy Cup semi-final with Leicester Tigers on Saturday.

The school's involvement with Sale came about as part of the new EDF Energy National Schools Rugby Programme, launched in January, which aims to introduce rugby union to nearly 100,000 school children nationwide over the next few years.

Jane Cunningham, PE co-ordinator at Charlestown School, said: "It's been brilliant working with Sale Sharks and I know that the children - and the staff - are all incredibly excited by this chance to play on semi-final day at the Millennium Stadium.

Fantastic

"It should be a fantastic experience and one which the children will never forget."

The group of nine and 10-year-olds from Charlestown will form a guard of honour for the Sharks and Tigers players before the EDF semi-final starts.

They will then take on a school representing Leicester at half-time in front of tens of thousands of supporters.

Several other primary schools across Manchester are set to link up with Sale through the EDF programme over the coming weeks.

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