Mark Barnard has been selected for the English Clubs under-18s squad.

The 17-year-old winger, who plays for Lewes and Sussex, successfully completed trials at Castlecroft in The Midlands and is lined up for the Home Internationals in South Wales in April.

Barnard, who joins the squad for training at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire this weekend, has only been playing rugby for just over a season.

The Lewes Tertiary College pupil said: "I'd been a footballer for Uckfield Grasshoppers since I was eight as a centre-half and fancied a change.

"My mum is Welsh and rugby is in the blood. So I thought I'd give it a go. Funnily enough, I nearly gave it up because I couldn't get to grips with it. Then it clicked.

"But I didn't even dream of England. I thought I'd be lucky to be graded by the county for divisionals. I feel very lucky. I won't be going back to football just now."

Barnard scored for the South East and London Division against the Midlands and came on for the second half in the victory against the South West in the trials.

He said: "It was a bit of a shock to get the call, but very nice. I think I was noticed because of my defensive qualities which are the strongest part of my game. Also I was shouting and organising."