A RUGBY club’s first ever beer festival will take place at the beginning of February to help fund improvements to its facilities.

The Aireborough RUFC event, on February 1 and 2, will coincide with the opening weekend of the Six Nations Rugby Championship. All three games will be shown on a big screen including Saturday’s crucial clash between England and Ireland which kicks off at 4.45pm.

Entry is £5 each day and includes two drinks tokens. Further tokens cost £5 for five. A range of gins and ciders will also be available, together with hot food.

All profits will go towards the future development of the club’s facilities at its Nunroyd Park home in Yeadon, which will host the festival.

The event is the brainchild of Rob Rattray who volunteers with Aireborough RUFC’s junior section.

He thanked all the sponsors who had helped make the beer festival possible.

He added: “There is tremendous passion for rugby union in the area. We want local people to know we’re here and enable them to get involved with what we do.

“The funds raised will help us to improve our offer and develop the game at junior and senior levels. It promises to a wonderful weekend of fun at a very modest cost. The fact that it’s happening just as Dry January ends is not a coincidence.”

The event will run from 7pm to11pm on Friday, February 1 and from noon to 11pm on Saturday, February 2.

Guiseley-based Vanbar Associates communications agency is one of the companies which has stepped forward to support the beer festival by sponsoring one of 19 real ales on offer at the two-day event.

Barry White, partner at the agency, said: “It is a pleasure to be involved. We’ve had a long association with Aireborough RUFC, including a period when I was the worst coach in the entire junior section.

“Thankfully for the players, those days are in the past but it is wonderful to see the awe-inspiring work still being done by so many committed people to promote rugby union in Guiseley and Yeadon.”