RUGBY Union star Jonny Wilkinson kick started a scheme to make sport more accessible to young people.

The England and British Lions spot-kicking fly-half was joined by colleagues from Newcastle Falcons at the launch of the Durham Sport Active Sport initiative.

Backed by councils and sporting bodies across the county, it is a development programme which will see £1.4m ploughed into grassroots sport over the next seven years.

Cricket, hockey, netball, Rugby Union and tennis are being backed from this year with athletics, basketball, girls' football and swimming to be added by December 2002.

Cheques for the initial £134,800, from the National Lottery-backed Active Sport programme, plus £10,000 each from sponsor Siemens Business Systems and the Government's Sports Match fund, were presented to Wilkinson at yesterday's launch at Durham University's Maiden Castle sports complex.

As part of yesterday's event, Wilkinson, along with Falcons' director of rugby, ex-England player Rob Andrew, and David Walder, who scored Newcastle's match-winning injury in the Tetley Bitter Trophy final in February, put Durham City Girls' under-15 rugby team, through their paces in an impromptu training session.