Rugby player Zara Bridges has taken a step closer to winning an England international cap.

The 28-year-old Canterbury back row player has been called up by the England Women’s High Performance Academy.

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

She is no stranger to representative honours, having played for the South & South East Region for the past four years and captained the side last season.

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

She said: “The regional coach hinted that I might be in line for the Academy but it still came as a nice surprise to be selected.”