Canterbury back row player Zara Bridges could become the club's first international player having been called up by the England Womens' Rugby High Performance Academy.

Bridges, who plays at either flanker or No 8, joins the elite squad for a two-day assessment session next month at Brunel University.

The 28-year-old teacher is no stranger to representative honours having played for the South and South East Region for the past four years and captained the side last season.

It was with the regional side that she first tasted international competition when they lost to Belgium.

She took up the game while a second year student at the University of Kent and has played for the Canterbury women's side for nine years.

Bridges, who lives at Elvington,said: "The regional coach hinted that I might be in line for the Academy so it came as a nice surprise to be selected."