Pupils at a prep school are leaping into action to try to emulate their champion PE teacher's sporting prowess.

Pogo Paterson, 29, hit the headlines a decade ago as one of Britain's top women rugby players.

She became hooked on the game while studying physical education and sports sciences at the West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, which has since become University College, Chichester.

She went on to win 25 international caps for Scotland, where she was born, and played in two World Cups.

The tall, slim blonde, who played at outside centre, is now back on the winning trail.

She has taken up triathlon, which involves swimming, cycling and running.

During the summer she went to the world championships in Edmonton, Canada.

She has won the British title for her age group in the sprint section for the last two years.

Now Pogo has introduced both rugby and elements of the triathlon to youngsters at the Arundale School in Lower Street, Pulborough, where she has been teaching since last year.

The 100 pupils play touch rugby, which involves no tackling.

Two pupils, Emma Corby and Olivia Muir, recently finished high up in a large field of nine and ten-year-old boys and girls in an aquathon event, in which they had to swim 100 metres and run one kilometre.

Head teacher Kaye Lovejoy is delighted that Pogo has joined the staff.

She said: "She is a wonderfully enthusiastic person as well as an excellent athlete and the children love her to bits.

"Since she joined the school there has been a marked difference in the pupils' attitude to all kinds of sport. They see her as a role model and want to succeed."

Pogo, who has also worked at Worthing Sixth Form College, decided to hang up her international rugby shirt after playing in the 1998 World Cup in Holland.

She said: "My body was beginning to hurt from the impact and told me it was time to quit.

"I introduced touch rugby at the school and the youngsters think it is brilliant.

"Teaching young children is very different to coaching sixth formers as their abilities vary widely. But it is a real pleasure as they are so much more enthusiastic and giving."

Pogo got her unusual name thanks to her Scottish father and Swedish-born mother and she has become used to the interest it attracts.

She said: "I think I have heard most of the puns and I always get asked if it is really my name."

Clare Connor decided to combine her love of teaching with her role as captain of the England women's cricket team.

Clare, 25, who teaches English at Brighton College, takes time off to tour with the team and is now in India.

Head teacher Anthony Seldon said: "This is an ideal job for her as she has always wanted to be a teacher and can combine that with her love of cricket.

"We always encourage female role models and she runs cricket for us at the college. It is an honour having her as a member of staff."