SHEBBEAR College students Stuart Williams and Charlie Short were lucky enough to experience a day in the life of an elite rugby player after taking part in the U15 NatWest Schools Cup Academy Day on May 22.

The duo were among 30 of the country’s most promising schoolboy rugby players joined by England internationals Chris Robshaw, Dave Attwood and Matt Kvesic at the NatWest Schools Cup Academy Day.

The NatWest Schools Cup Academy Day saw 30 of the best performers in this year’s U15 and U18 NatWest Schools Cup participate in a training session on the same pitch as the England squad prepare on, before reviewing their performances in a video session led by England’s analysts.

The players were also joined by NatWest Schools Cup ambassador and former England international Mark Cueto, who was impressed by the skill levels of the players.

‘The quality at the NatWest Schools Cup Academy Day was extremely high,’ said Mark.

‘English rugby is in a good place following the Grand Slam win and the calibre of players on show suggests we have a promising future to look forward to as well.’

From 2017 the NatWest Schools Cup will take on a different format, with both the U15 and U18 competitions being divided into several tiers to enhance competition and encourage more schools to enter.