England call to inspire Elliott
AN AMBITIOUS young rugby player is hoping an England call-up could be his first step towards the promised land of a professional contract.
Diss RFC's Elliott Page has been selected to play for England Colleges U19s against Wales at Pothcawl Rugby Club on February 14.
"I can't wait to pull on the shirt," said the 19-year-old.
"I'm really looking forward to the game. It has been a long journey to get in the squad but well worth it."
The second-row forward was one of three Easton College pupils put forward to the first round of trials, for the Eastern region, in October.
He made it through this trial and three further ones, which included a long trip to Bristol, to gain selection for the England Colleges U19s elite squad and has been told he will be in the first XV.
"It didn't hit me straight away that I had got in," said Page, of Thorndon.
"It was when people started congratulating me that it finally sank in.
"I never expected to get past the first or second trials but team-mates were telling me that I was doing well, which gave me a boost."
England Colleges U19s are expecting to play Wales for a second time at the end of the month, before heading off to Lisbon in March to play Portugal.
They are also hoping to organise a tour of the US in the summer.
The former Hartismere High School pupil joined the youth set-up at Diss when he was just five.
This season he made his league debut against Bishop's Stortford in October and has made three further starts, as well as coming off the bench twice to play.
The teenager has high hopes that he could follow in the footsteps of former Diss RFC youth player Dan Hipkiss, who has progressed to star for Leicester Tigers and England, and play in the Guinness Premiership.
Page, who is studying sports science, said: "Hopefully I can play well in these games (for England Colleges U19s) and something can come out of it.
"They have a great track record. The coaches told us at training, that in the last ten years, nine players from the England Colleges U19s side have gone on to play in the Guinness Premiership.
"That's nearly one a year, so I hope I can be that one."
A large contingent of Page's family and Diss RFC members, who have helped fund the trip, are expected to travel to Wales to see him make his debut for England Colleges U19s next Sunday.
* Former Diss youth player Dan Hipkiss, who has made close to 100 starts for Leicester Tigers, has signed a new deal to extend his stay at Welford Road.
But the centre, who is in England's Six Nations squad, has not been named in Martin Johnson's 22 for Saturday's tournament opener at Twickenham.
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Weather for Diss
Thursday 02 September 2010
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