The core values of rugby were used by coaches in their work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help improve self-esteem, community cohesion and other social outcomes.

On his return to London, Tom said, "The trip was a lot of hard work, but also very rewarding and a great experience. We met a large number of children who hadn't had much contact with rugby before, but they were really enthusiastic and made the whole trip worthwhile."

Twelve coaches, one from each of the Premiership Rugby clubs, travelled to New York along with four members of Premiership Rugby's Community Team to help promote the game. The visit follows a similar successful trip to Brazil in March to help the development of rugby in South America.

Premiership Rugby coaches worked with 1,800 New York school children in Queens, Brooklyn, Harlem, Staten Island and the Bronx, supported the launch of the Great British Run, holding rugby workshops in Central Park, and attended an end-of-season awards event in Harlem with friends and family of the children.

Premiership Rugby and Play Rugby USA coaches mentored schools playing in the Public School Athletics League High School Rugby 7s Final in New York, and the English representatives also ran fan engagement fitness testing sessions in the fans' village at the 2012 USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship in Philadelphia.

Wayne Morris, Head of Community at Premiership Rugby, said "This trip to the USA has been a great success. Our programmes demonstrate that Premiership Rugby is a world leader when it comes to community initiatives and I'm delighted that 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."

Each season Premiership Rugby and its clubs invest more than £3 million in a variety of community programmes which aim to grow grassroots participation and tackle core social issues. In the last year alone, Premiership Rugby clubs delivered 150,000 man-hours of community programming to more than 260,000 participants. Premiership Rugby also provides 600 professional players, each a strong role model within their communities, who are involved in supporting the schemes.