Three Junior Saints have been named in the England Under-18 squad for 2010/11.
Alex Day (scrum-half, St Joseph's College, Ipswich),
Will Hooley (fly half, The Leys School, Cambridge) and
Danny Herriott (prop,
Moulton College) have already joined up with England Under-18 head coach John Fletcher and their team mates this month for a camp at Harrow School.
For Hooley the call up comes just a few months after his selection for England's Under-16 Four Nations Tournament squad in March, while Day has already played Wanderers rugby in the Aviva Premiership Rugby 'A' League, most recently at Welford Road on Monday night.
The 26-man squad will assemble at the National Sports Centre, Bisham Abbey, in October before kicking off their age group international series in Ireland between Christmas and the New Year.
The squad have a long tradition of success to emulate - England have won 19 of their last 20 internationals at Under-18 level and were unbeaten for nigh on three years.
"We aspire to play a similar brand of rugby to the last two years, with lots of pace and width and posing as many threats to the opposition as we can in as many areas of the pitch as possible, Fletcher said. The evidence from our summer camps with Under 16 and Under 18 players is that the technical and tactical ability continues to improve and thats to the credit of the regional academies, clubs and schools who do a better job each year."
Academy Recruitment and Development Manager Dusty Hare says that the selections give something for the other players in the Junior Saints Academy something to aim for.
"I'm pleased for the youngsters who have been chosen," he said. "We've got some good talent coming through, and we're eager for them to show what they can do. Alex Day and Danny Herriott have already played in a good Under-19's performance against Leinster, and Alex has rubbed shoulders with the senior professionals with the Wanderers in the 'A' League. Now it's up to them to keep up that standard in the future."
ENGLAND UNDER-18 SQUAD 2010/11
Forwards
Dominic Barrow (Prince Henrys GS; Leeds Carnegie)
Jack Clifford (RGS Guildford; Harlequins)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Truro College; Exeter Chiefs)
Matt Hankin (Haileybury College; Saracens)
Danny Herriott (Moulton College; Northampton Saints)
Alec Hepburn (Henley College; London Wasps)
Gus Jones (Eton College; London Wasps)
Tom Jubb (Oaklands College; Saracens)
Nathan Morris (Sedbergh; London Wasps)
Tom Price (Wyggeston; Queen Elizabeth I & Leicester Tigers)
George Sandford (St Pauls Catholic College; London Irish)
Kyle Sinckler (Epsom College; Harlequins)
David Sisi (St Pauls Catholic College; London Irish)
Tom Smallbone (Harrow; London Irish)
Scott Spurling (Harrow; Saracens)
Backs
Jack Arnott (Ivybridge College; Exeter Chiefs)
Alex Day (St Josephs College; Northampton Saints)
Sam Hill (Ivybridge College; Exeter Chiefs)
Will Hooley (The Leys; Northampton Saints)
Mark Jennings (Myerscough College; Sale Sharks)
James Lightfoot-Brown (St Pauls Catholic College; London Irish)
Jack Nowell (Truro College; Exeter Chiefs)
Henry Slade (Plymouth College; Exeter Chiefs)
Mitchell Tamiau (Twyford CofE HS; London Wasps)
Anthony Watson (St Georges College; London Irish)
Marcus Webber (Manchester GS; Leeds Carnegie)