Dyer praised the work of Billericay’s Steve Winford, Chris Goldsmith, Andy Collings, Andy Goldsmith, Laura Parker, Anthony Harvey and Glenn Branch in preparing the successful bid.

“Getting the seal of approval is very important to the club,” said Andy Collings, who helps run the junior section at the Stock Road club.

“It is a reassurance for parents that everything we do is in accordance with the best practices of the RFU.

“It’s the way forward for the club. It should attract more youngsters to the club and open a lot of doors for us.

The presentation of the certificate took place after the players’ registration session and the six to seven months the club spent working to get the seal of approval already appears to be paying dividends.

When the mini section was set up a couple of years ago, there were only a handful of players. That had increased to 20 last season,
 and we now have over 50 players aged between five and nine signed up for Billericay to play tag rugby.

“The last youth team are in their mid-twenties now, so the new mini section is important for the future of the club. There’s still a long way to go to see them in the first team, but the only way to do it is from the ground up.”