PENRYN Rugby Club's under-15s are preparing for the tour of a lifetime to Italy next year.

The lads, who have played together from under-7 level, will take part in a series of events to raise the £20,000 needed for the trip.

Head coach Jamie Truen said: "It's a fantastic opportunity - the trip of a lifetime. The club has identified the need to keep lads playing rugby at Colts level and a team-building tour like this will help to do that.

"They have all played together for many years - some of them already have ties for 100 appearances - they're a great bunch and we wanted to reward their loyalty."

The trip will be next May, when they will play at least two matches in Chioggia, a coastal town just south of Venice.

They have received a £500 from Penryn Town Council (see picture) and there is a host of fund-raisers planned, including appearances at Penryn Carnival, Falmouth Carnival, Penryn Fair Day and bag packing at Asda and Tesco.

There are other big events in the pipeline, which will be finalised in the coming months.

"It is a 60-strong party travelling to Italy and we want to raise enough money to cover the costs," added Jamie, who coaches the team with Dave Levick and Rob Valentine.

Anyone who would like to make a donation can contact Jamie's wife Helena on facebook.