WORCESTER Warriors’ multi-million pound east stand has been officially opened by the Princess Royal.

Princess Anne unveiled a plaque at the Sixways stand’s modern top-floor Pitchview Suite in front of more than 100 invited guests, Warriors club officials and local school children yesterday.

The Princess, a rugby fan, was clearly impressed with what had been achieved at the club under the ownership of chairman Cecil Duckworth, who has steered the club through six league promotions after taking over 15 years ago.

After the visit he said: “She’s been worth the wait.

“It has taken a little while to get her here because obviously the stand has been in use for some time.

“She’s a wonderful lady and was most interested in the things we are doing here.”

Princess Anne was invited to officially unveil the Slick Systems Stand because of her love of the sport.

Mr Duckworth, widely known for his philanthropic work in Worcestershire, also invited representatives from charities Acorns Children’s Hospice, Sense and Wooden Spoon to meet the Princess.

Arriving by helicopter and wearing a purple tunic and plaid skirt, she was greeted by an honour guard of youngsters from Perdiswell, Oldbury Park and Powick CE Primary Schools. After meeting and greeting councillors and civic dignitaries including Worcestershire’s Lord Lieutenant Michael Brinton, West Mercia Police’s chief constable Paul West and Bishop of Worcester Dr John Inge, she was taken on a tour of the new state-of-the-art stand.

Also there were avid royal supporters Sue Rowberry, of Kempsey, near Worcester, and her mother Dorothy Rimell, of St Peter’s, Worcester, who waited in the cold wind for a glimpse of Princess Anne.

At the door she shared a warm smile and a word with nine-year-old King’s School youngster Abigail Alcock – and a Warriors junior section scrum-half – after she presented the Princess with a posy of flowers.

“She asked how long I’d been playing and whether I would keep doing it – and I said I would,” said the youngster.

Upstairs in the plush suite, the Princess praised the club’s work “in the community” after meeting children on Warriors’ Playing for Success youth education programme and seeing its support for healthy eating among youngsters.

She said: “One of the challenges for rugby clubs is they often have open space and buildings, but getting the two working together for the benefit of the community is not always well thought out.

“But here you have achieved that.” She said the club’s standing, “respect” and “success” would continue to grow in future because of the strong community focus at Sixways.

Afterwards, she was handed a rugby ball signed by the Warriors first team and presented by Pat Sanderson, club captain.