Warriors full-back Noah Heward has been named in the 32-strong England Under-20s Elite Player squad for this year’s Under-20s Six Nations Championship and this summer’s World Rugby Under-20s Championship in Italy.
Heward, a member of the Three Pears Warriors Academy, is one of only three players in the England squad who have yet to represent their country at age-grade level.
But Heward has been in sparkling form for Cavaliers in this season’s Premiership Rugby Shield and he made a try-scoring senior debut for Warriors in the European Challenge Cup victory over Dragons at Sixways last month.
Heward played his formative rugby in the youth section at Birmingham & Solihull and for Solihull School and he has been playing for Stourbridge in National Two North on a dual registration this season.
England U20s are led by new Head Coach Alan Dickens and his side will open their Six Nations campaign against France in Grenoble, on Saturday February 1.
The squad will convene at Bisham Abbey national sports centre on Sunday as they continue their preparations for that first Six Nations fixture.
England’s player pathway programme is a vital development tool for future full international rugby.
“Players have been selected through a combination of their performances last year and displays in domestic and European competitions this season,” Dickens said.
“It’s been encouraging to see a number of the group playing Premiership, Champions Cup and Challenge Cup rugby and I believe we’ve selected a really strong 32 for our Elite Player Squad.
“We also have a wider squad that we know will contribute and be crucial during the Six Nations as well as the World Rugby Under-20s Championship and my message to those players not in the 32 would be to stay fit and engaged with everything we are doing.
“I want to see the players arrive in camp on Sunday with a desire to learn, improve and take in a high level of detail.
“We have less than a month to bond as a squad before our first Six Nations fixture so getting them to gel will be a key challenge for the players as well as management team.
“I also want players to enjoy themselves. Being selected for England at any level is a proud moment in their careers and they should remember that. Hopefully, this is the next step in their ultimate dream of playing for the senior side.”