For those faced by the prospect of a summer's withdrawal symptoms from rugby, and believe that it is a wasted opportunity to harness skills, help is at hand. Nigel Osborne, the Wanderers centre, bon viveur and generally sound egg, runs a summer school - Te French Sports and Language Centre - for 11 to 17-year-olds throughout July and August in the south of France.

"They provide both intensive junior and senior certificate French exam preparation with excellent rugby coaching in top class facilities," Osborne assured this column, citing a who's who of rugby personalities who have coached at the centre near Biarritz - Denis Hickie, Brian O'Driscoll, Gabriel Fulcher, Olivier Magne, Richard Pool-Jones, Marc dal Maso, Emile Ntamack, Thomas Castaignede, "and, of course, myself. I have been running this for a couple of years and it is comprehensively insured and all above board," he added. The centre's website is: www.rugbyandfrench.com or Nigel can be contacted at 087-2448868.