RUNNING out for an international at Twickenham may be the dream of almost every rugby-mad schoolboy.

But youngsters at Astor Secondary School, Dover, could never have imagined that the one among them who would fulfil that ambition would be...a girl.

Sarah Marsh starred at hockey, and was a national champion kick-boxer in her teens, but her sporting career reaches its climax next week as a member of the England women’s rugby squad to take on France in front of more than 70,000 spectators at the sport’s national stadium.

The match will be held on February 15, immediately before the men’s Six Nations Championship match between the same nations.

She will start on the replacements’ bench for the first ever women’s international at Twickenham, but is hopeful of making an appearance during the match.

Sarah, 25, said: “It will be a really special occasion. We realise that we are making history. I have played at Twickenham before for my club, Wasps, in the national cup final but, although there was quite a crowd, it seemed almost empty because the ground is so big.

“We also played in front of a crowd of about 5,000 in a game at the London Welsh ground, but I hate to think how many will be there for the match against France.”