Sarah George in action on the rugby pitch
Exeter student gets England call-up
First year Exercise and Sports Sciences student Sarah George has been selected for the England Under 20’s Women’s Rugby Squad. Sarah, originally from Bristol, started playing rugby a the age of five and first represented her region as a twelve year old.
Last year Sarah was selected to join up with the National Talent Development Group which has now led to selection for the England Under 20’s squad.
Sarah, who plays as a prop, is a Sports Scholar and receives dedicated support including strength and conditioning training, nutritional advice and sports psychology from the University’s High Performance Unit. The Sports Scholarship Programme enables elite athletes such as Sarah to commit to the necessary time-intensive training programmes to perform at the highest level while also meeting the academic commitments of an undergraduate degree programme at Exeter.
On her selection for the England Under-20 squad Sarah said, “I’m delighted to have been selected for England. Since coming to Exeter my rugby has come on phenomenally thanks to the great quality support and training I receive here. The team play a high level of rugby and the additional support I receive through my scholarship has enabled me to reach the standard needed to play international rugby.”
She added, “In the future I hope to secure my place in the England Under 20’s squad and one day be selected for the England senior team. Playing in a World Cup would be amazing.”
The University of Exeter’s Women’s Rugby Programme is nationally renowned as one the most advanced in the UK for nurturing talented female rugby players. The team are current European 7’s Champions after winning the European University Sports Association (EUSA) Championships in 2009. Sarah is one of three current female rugby scholars at Exeter and is also part of the England Women’s Rugby High Performance Academy.
Mark Tomlinson, the University’s Director of Women’s Rugby, was full or praise of Sarah’s achievements to date. He said, “It’s always great to see Exeter represented on an international stage. Sarah follows in the footsteps of a number of former Exeter students who represented their country while studying here and I’m sure she won’t be the last.”
He added, “Her selection for the England under-20 squad is fully deserved and the challenge for us now is to continue Sarah’s progress and ensure that her game continues to develop. I have no doubt that she has the potential to be a full international one day. Sarah is grounded and very popular member of the squad and a pleasure to coach.”
The England Under-20 Squad also includes Marlie Packer and Juliet Short, two athletes currently supported by the University of Exeter through the Government-funded Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), an initiative which seeks to support elite athletes within higher education. As a TASS service provider, the University of Exeter provides a tailored package of services for Marlie and Juliet including coaching, strength and conditioning, lifestyle support, physiotherapy and sports medicine as well as support with competition and training expenses.
Amber Reed, another member of the current England Under-20 Squad, is coming to Exeter in the next academic year to Exercise and Sport Sciences.
Date: 26 March 2010
