Northumbria University rugby union star Yaree Fanitini will be mixing it with the big boys this summer after bagging his place in the England Sevens squad.
The Sport Central flier impressed scouts at the 2017 BUCS Sevens event earlier this year - helping Northumbria to lift the championship title.
And now first year psychology student Fanitini will line up alongside players from the senior England Sevens set up, the England Sevens academy, Premiership academies and fellow students.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Yaree and he becomes the first ever Northumbria player to win a senior England Sevens call-up,” said the university’s head of rugby union, Darren Fearn.
“He fully deserves his chance and everyone here is delighted for him. Yaree has enjoyed a great season in a Northumbria shirt and we’ll all be keeping a close eye on his progress this summer.”
Fanitini will take part in Saturday’s Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series in Moscow as England tackle Belgium, Portugal and France.
All three fixtures will be streamed live via www.rugbyeurope.eu and England Sevens head coach Simon Amor expects a competitive start to the 2017 series.
“Off the back of a successful HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series with the team achieving second place overall, the Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series provides us with a great opportunity to identify the next generation of talent that will come through the England Sevens pathway," he said.
“The squad for Moscow is made up primarily of our young England sevens academy players and players identified through our relationships with the universities and Premiership academies, which demonstrates the good connections that the programme is building with different partners."
The Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series carries added significance this year as it will form part of the qualification process for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018.
As one of the eight quarter-finalists from Moscow 2013, England have already booked their spot at that tournament.
Amor added: “The standard of the European competition is exceptionally high.
"The Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series is going to be a really big challenge for this young team but will be an excellent development opportunity for them as players as they push on for recognition on next year’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series."
England Sevens squad for Moscow
Alex Davis, Cameron Cowell, Calum Sirker, Jordan Ainslie, Henry Martin, Tom Ffitch, Will Glover, Fergus Guiry, Will Wilson (Oxford Uni), Yaree Fanitini (Northumbria Uni), Mason Tonks (Gloucester), Ryan Olowofela (Leicester Tigers).
England's fixtures
08.44 v Belgium
11.29 v Portugal
14.14 v France
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