THOUSANDS of people enjoyed getting up close and personal with members of the All Blacks rugby world cup squad at an open coaching session.

A dazzling autumn sun shone for the event at Darlington Mowden Park rugby club.

Fans began to assemble from 8am this morning, as MC David Kurk warmed up the crowd with contributions from singer Millie Underwood.

Youngsters from Rydal Academy, one of the closest schools to the ground, performed a rendition of the Haka, the All Blacks' famous pre-match ritual.

Sixteen members of the All Blacks squad - including Keven Mealamu, Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Sonny Bill Williams - were among the group to take part.

It was the All Blacks' largest community engagement event for four years and 4,000 free tickets were snapped up within hours.

Mowden coach Danny Brown has been instrumental in securing the All Blacks visit to Darlington, where they have based themselves ahead of their match with Tonga, in Newcastle, on Friday.

He said: "For us to be able to give the All Blacks a send-off like this is a credit to the town. All the work that has gone into making this happen has been so worthwhile.

“The last time the All Blacks were able or willing to do an event as big as this was 2011. They do community engagement wherever they go, but nothing on this scale for a few years.

“I take my hats off to them for doing it in the middle of the biggest competition of their lives.

“The whole planning of getting a team here started two years ago and we have been working with the All Blacks over the past five or six months.

“The take-up that we’ve had from the town has been fantastic."

Rachel Campbell, PE co-ordinator at Rydal Academy, said the year six students who took part in the Haka had been practising in secret for weeks.

She said: "We were invited by Mowden after we won a competition to do the Haka today.

"It has been quite secretive.

"The children have been very excited, they know what a privilege is to have the chance to do something like this.

"It has been an absolutely amazing experience, it was an amazing honour to take part in today and to be able to welcome the All Blacks."