Ridley, a Leicester Tigers Academy scrum-half and former pupil at Loughborough Grammar School joined coaches from each of the Premiership Rugby clubs and four members of Premiership Rugby’s community team for a week of events in New York.
The coaches worked with 1,800 New York schoolchildren in Queens, Brooklyn, Harlem, Staten Island and the Bronx. They held rugby workshops in Central Park, supported the launch of the Great British Run and attended an end-of-season awards event in Harlem with youngsters' friends and family.
Premiership Rugby and Play Rugby USA coaches mentored schools playing in the Public School Athletics League High School Rugby 7s Final in New York.
The Premiership Rugby coaches also ran fan fitness testing sessions in the fans village at the 2012 USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship in Philadelphia. And they were also joined by Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall, who posed with the Aviva Premiership Rugby trophy in Central Park.
The visit follows Premiership Rugby’s successful trip to Brazil in March to help in the development of rugby in South America.
“This trip to the USA has been a great success,” said Wayne Morris, Premiership Rugby head of community. “Our programmes demonstrate that Premiership Rugby is a world leader when it comes to community initiatives.
“I’m delighted we were given the chance to help promote and grow the game in the USA following our equally successful visit to Brazil in March.
“I would like to thank Play Rugby USA, USA Sevens Rugby, and the British Consulate General in New York for making us feel welcome and British Airways for providing flights from their Olympic Flight Bursary Programme.”
Mark Griffin, president of Play Rugby USA, added: “It was a fantastic opportunity for us and our students to learn from some of the best community coaches in the world.
“Simply based upon the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received from our partner schools last week our partnership with Premiership Rugby is another high quality addition to our programme with the potential to make a significant impact in the world of Rugby-for-Good."
