THE Indian national rugby union side will make an historic visit to Worcestershire on Sunday as they take on Pershore Rugby Club (2pm).

The tourists have been brought to England to take on three teams and end the visit with a match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.

However, they will warm up with a game at Piddle Park and then travel to Coventry.

India are currently 89th in the official International Rugby Board world rankings, having only hosted their first ever official Test match recently.

The Indians will be based at Wood Norton Hotel near Evesham during their week-long stay and will use the Pershore club as their training base.

"We've been chosen to stage the first game through local business connections," said Pershore spokesman Charlie Hemmings.

Organising

"Raj Prohit, a local businessman, has helped to bring various football and cricket tours from India and he's involved in organising this trip.

"It's a great honour to be chosen to host a national side and we've put a marquee up and are bringing in catering vans in anticipation of attracting a big crowd."

The President's XV includes Pershore first team regulars, supplemented by guest players including centre Mark Eastwood from Malvern and Bromsgrove lock Jon Taylor.

India's squad includes prop Manny Samra, born and raised in Bromsgrove and who plays his rugby for Moseley.

The tour has been organised to help raise the profile of rugby in Asian communities in England.

Luctonians, meanwhile, take on Horden in the fourth round of the Intermediate Cup at Mortimer Park on Saturday.

Lucs are confident of progress, having only been knocked out twice on their own patch in a dozen such encounters -- to Dudley Kingswinford in 1998-99 and to Halifax in 2001-02.

Horden, however, reached the sixth round last year and have a good record against higher ranked teams.

With most teams having a break from league action this weekend, Hereford are the exception as they host Aston Old Edwardians in Midlands Two (West).