ALICE PETTITT is looking forward to making her international rugby debut after being chosen for the England women's under-19 squad.

The 17-year-old hooker, from Deal, is part of a 30-strong squad from which a side will be picked to play two home Tests against Canada at RAF Halford, next April.

The under-19 squad is seen by the RFU as an essential part of their plans for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

The youngster admits her dream is to play for England and she draws inspiration from Kent girls Catherine Spencer and Amy Garnett, both of whom were members of the England senior team beaten 25-17 by New Zealand in this year’s World Cup final.

She thinks women's rugby is going from strength to strength: "More teams are being formed and more people are turning up to trials so it is getting much more widespread and more evenly spread."