Tom Youngs was the guest of honour as Wymondham Rugby Club opened its new £4.5million home on Saturday.

Hundreds of members, players and supporters were at Barnard Fields to see the first game at the new home for the club as Wymondham hosted Holt.

The 30-acre site is three times larger than the club’s old home in the town and Saturday’s opening was the culmination of a 15-year campaign.

“We’ve made it - literally!” said club chairman Andrew Kilby. “So many people have helped us turn this from a dream into a plan and now finally a reality. It’s fantastic, we’ve gone from having among the worst facilities of any rugby club in East Anglia to the best!”

Leicester Tigers captain Youngs, whose family home is in Norfolk, said: “Rugby is a great sport in bringing the community together and it’s very rewarding to see the results of all the hard work that has gone into developing Wymondham’s new home.

“I’m delighted to be able to share in the occasion and wish everyone at the club all the very best for the future.”

Tigers will use Barnard Fields as the Norfolk base for the club’s Developing Player Programme, coaching the county’s talented young players and helping those with the potential to become professionals.

Wymondham marked the official opening with a pre-match lunch for members followed by a VIP dinner with guest speaker Kyran Bracken, a World Cup winner with England in 2003.

Club captain Josh Wright said players had happy memories from the old ground at Tuttles Lane, but finally have the facilities to match their ambitions.

“We outgrew Tuttles Lane a long time ago,” he said. “We’re sorry to leave it behind but we badly needed this move. Now we’ve got room to build the size and strength of our squad.

“It’s taken a long time coming but this is a great day for our club.”