COUNTY Durham rugby players will get a lesson in playing for the big league when coaches from a top side visit in the New Year.

In February the Durham Tigers Rugby League will be renewing its ties with top flight team Bradford Bulls with a visit from the Super League side’s coaching staff.

Coaches from the Bradford Bulls will be leading the coaching course at Sunnydale Leisure Centre in Shildon, near Bishop Auckland, on Friday and Saturday, February 22 and 23.

Tickets will cost £10 a day and a spokesman for the Durham Tigers said the workshops offer players the chance to be coached by some of this country’s leading coaches.

This will be the third time that the Tigers have hosted Bradford Bulls coaches at Sunnydale.

Club Secretary Phil Selby said: “We are honoured that the Bulls have agreed to this because we are determined to give local kids the best training and opportunities possible.

“The Bulls are always looking for new players that have the potential to play professionally, and we give them the opportunity to look for talent outside of the Yorkshire area.”

The Durham Tigers have been based at Sunnydale Leisure Centre since 2010 and they aim to use rugby to provide a hobby for local people of all ages and to help the community by giving young people a focus.

They hold weekly training sessions for people of all ages and are always keen to recruit new players.

On Tuesday evenings they provide training for their open age (16 and over) team between 6.30pm and 8pm and their Under 14s team between 6pm and 7.30pm.

On Saturdays, between 10am and 11.30am they provide training for the Under 9s and 11s and the Under 13s.

Anyone interested is invited to attend a session or find the Durham triggers on Facebook.