Exclusive: Jason Leonard claims RFU presidency would equal winning the World Cup with England Leonard, who will become the first player from the professional era to become president of the governing body, says he has been taken aback by the weight of support for his appointment. It has ranged from his former club Barking to former international opponents. I got messages of support and congratulations from a number of Barking ex-players but not only Barking or Essex clubs. They came from up and down the country and even from around the world from former international opponents," Leonard said. At one stage I received so many emails and messages that it blocked up my phone for a while. I suppose to a certain degree I encompass the professional era but I am also very much in touch with the grassroots even though I played elite rugby for the best part of 16 years. All the messages have been gratefully and warmly received, whether they have come from a junior rugby club or an international around the other side of the world. It is just great that people feel so passionately about it. It was Leonard's popular appeal that helped to tip the RFU council vote in his favour as he was considered a more recognisable face, having been appointed last year as one of the England Rugby 2015 ambassadors. The RFU is determined to ensure that the tournament takes the game to as wide an audience as possible to ensure one of the legacies is a surge in numbers taking up the game. Leonard is promising to be a "hands-on" president to help ensure that the game gets the greatest benefit from hosting the tournament. It will be a case of trying everything. It is such an important year that I want to be hands-on in as many areas as possible. You have the rugby itself but the legacy of the World Cup is equally as important. Then there is the All Schools programme that the RFU is pushing through to get rugby into as many state schools as possible. The game wants change and my appointment will be a very small step in that direction. It is going to be a fantastic year, very similar to the Olympics last year. It will get rugby out there, show the wider public what a great sport it is and that all shapes and sizes play the game, no one is excluded. Rugby clubs seem to be the real hub of the community and the work that all the junior clubs does is absolutely fantastic. I am massively excited. If Leonard's nomination appears to fly in the face of fears that professionalism would stem the flow of ex-players remaining in the game after their playing days had finished, he just hopes it serves an encouragement to all to get involved the grassroots game. Rugby is the kind of sport that people don't walk away from. When you finish playing rugby you might go and coach and when you have kids you end up coaching them because the kids are playing in the rugby club. This is just an extension of that. We want everyone involved as much as possible. Hopefully it will be a fantastic World Cup for the England team but the legacy that follows it is just as important as a World Cup success. As a player who won it in 2003, it would be amazing for English rugby if this current group went on to win the World Cup in 2015. In November it will be the 10th anniversary of our win and talking to some of the guys, they would all love to see this current England side win the World Cup in 2015. I don't think anyone would have a problem with that. It is about time. Go for it. Jason Leonard was speaking on behalf of RBS, who have placed the names of 400 grassroots rugby clubs on the turf at Twickenham. www.rbs6nations.com/rugbyforce