The Leicester Tigers fly-half was a guest of club sponsor Caterpillar at the three-day festival held at the end of September.
Ireland international Staunton joined Caterpillar’s Irish dealer McCormick Macnaughton and their rental store Mac Rental at their stand, where he posed for photographs, signed autographs and had a go at the mini excavator challenge.
“It was great fun driving the diggers, digging holes and smashing stuff around,” he said. “The Ploughing Championship is a three-day festival held every year.
“It is massive with 80,000 people attending on average each day. A lot of primary schools and some secondary schools are given the day off to have a look around. Politicians are there, there were a few of the Munster team and a few of the local sporting people from Kilkenny hurlers.”
Staunton, who has started every Tigers game this season, added: “I am from a farming background so there is a big connection. I used to go when I was young and it was good to go back.”
