GRAVESEND Rugby Club are to offer a trio of students £1,000 grants as part of a new partnership with The University of Greenwich at Medway.

The London South East League Division 3 club will hope to have the students playing for them during their time studying in return for their investment – hopefully within months.

Gravesend’s director of rugby Malcolm Moaby was delighted after announcing the scheme, the first of its kind in North Kent.

He said: "We’re a very forward-looking club and are aiming to build momentum towards the national leagues in a few years’ time.

"We hope the scheme with the University of Greenwich will provide us with first-team players that will help push us up the leagues.

"We want a partnership which will help attract players to the club from outside the area and also help students with the costs of higher education."

The university’s regional director, Professor Alan Reed, said: "This scheme further enhances the university’s relationship with the local community.

"The bursaries will be a great help to the students and in turn we hope Gravesend will find players capable of helping them move up the rugby ladder."