Halstead Templars Rugby Club’s players have been given a very Goode incentive to make sure they are in tip top shape to start the forthcoming season.

A Suffolk Plate tie against Mildenhall and Redlodge will kick off the Templars’ campaign at the Courtaulds sports ground home on September 12 and they will be led on the day by a special team manager – former England star Andy Goode.

With more than 2,100 points to his name, the 35-year-old fly-half is the Premiership’s second highest ever points scorer and will fire up the Halstead team ahead of their first-round clash with Mildenhall.

Goode has been capped 17 times and scored 107 points for England in a glittering career and won five Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups with Leicester Tigers before moving to Brive, Wasps – who he reached the European Champions Cup quarter-finals with – and now London Irish.

Templars are hoping that having Goode in their camp for their Plate opener will give them the perfect lift to start their 2015/16 campaign.

Social secretary Aeron Stubbs said: “Andy is coming as team manager for the day, which is a role I usually fulfill.

“It will be great to have him there and it came about thanks to (Halstead prop) Craig Trevain.

“He was at Lord’s for a joint rugby and cricket event and there was an auction where having Andy Goode manage your side for the day was one of the prizes.

“He was bidding on behalf of his company – CT (East) – and won so we get to have him as our manager.

“Andy has World Cup commitments from September 19 so we’ve organised for him to come down the week before and it just happens to be our first game of the season.”

Halstead will have plenty to live up to in front of their guest manager as they beat Mildenhall and Redlodge at the same stage of the Suffolk Plate last year and will be keen to make a winning start this time.