ACADEMY NEWS 2011/12 SEASON

The work of the Exeter Chiefs Academy, both at Truro College and Ivybridge Community College, is again paying dividends with the news that five of the club's youngsters have been selected by England.

Truro College duo Matt Bolwell and Luke Chapman, together with Ivybridge pair Charlie Hewitt and Stuart Townsend, have all been selected into the England Under-17 Academy squad for the forthcoming 2011/12 season.

Whilst Joel Conlon, another of the Ivybridge students, has been named in the England Under-18 wider squad for the new season.

Jack Nowell in action for England Under-18s

Fresh from their successful tour of Australia with the Under-18s, four Exeter Chiefs academy stars have been named in England Under-20s' squad for the season.

Prop Luke Cowan-Dickie, the only player to turn out for the Under-20s and under-18s last season, has been named alongside backs Henry Slade, Sam Hill and Jack Nowell.

All four helped England win their three matches Down Under last month, along with Sandy Park colleagues Sam Jones and Jack Arnott.

They are joined by former Exeter players Koree Britton and Ryan Mills – both now with Gloucester – and Chiefs academy graduate Ben Spencer. Matt Kvesic, the Worcester flanker who attended Blundells School in Tiverton, has also been included.

Britton, Mills and Kvesic were part of the squad that reached the final of the Junior World Championship in Italy at the end of last season.

And this season's 32-man squad will aim to go one better when the 2012 tournament is held in South Africa in June.

They will also compete in the Under-20 Six Nations, with England the defending champions as they won the Grand Slam last time around.

Head coach Rob Hunter said: "We're delighted with the players in our latest squad. We welcome 12 players who played at under-18s level last season, some of whom have just returned from beating Australia in their own back yard, and we welcome back 11 who played for us last time round.

"It's an experienced group, but also an exciting, skilful and powerful group. Competition for places will be high, but that's just what you want."

Nowell ready for his tour Down Under

Starlet Jack Nowell says he is desperate to repay the faith Exeter Chiefs have shown in him as he prepares to tour Australia with the England under-18s squad.

Nowell is one of six Chiefs youngsters – along with Sam Hill, Henry Slade, Sam Jones, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jack Arnott – to have been selected to represent his country.

The academy players will take on an under-19s New South Wales Academy team on August 21, before facing Australian A Schools on August 24.

Their final match will be a full Test match against Australian Schools on August 28.

Nowell says the international call-ups underline the magnificent job being carried out by the academy coaches at Sandy Park.

And the 18-year-old, who is dual registered with Plymouth Albion this season, is determined to make his mark Down Under.

"It will be my first time going to Australia," he said. "I think all of the boys at the club are like me, we're really looking forward to going there and playing against different opposition.

"I think it will be a good opportunity to show how hard we've worked during pre-season and, with all the games being videoed as well, the coaches back here (Rob Baxter, Ali Hepher, Robin Cowling and Ricky Pellow) will get the chance to see us in action.

"This will be, for a lot of us, our last game for the under-18s. We're a close group and I've made a lot of friends through it.

"That said, the under-20s coaches are travelling as well and that's my next objective in terms of playing for England. I want to play well, show them what I can do and hopefully get selected in the under-20s squad a year early.

"We've got three tough games over there and we don't know a huge amount about the opposition.

"I guess there will be pretty hard pitches over there, so that should suit our style. We've got quite a few boys in the squad who like to play in space and move the ball around.

"Having six players in the England squad shows what a great job the club and the academy staff are doing in bringing through the young guys.

"To have so many in the England squad is obviously a great honour for the club and, like I said, hopefully we can all do the club proud over in Australia."

Henry Slade in action for England Under-18s

Chiefs have six included in England tour squad

Exeter Academy coach Rob Gibson says he is "over the moon" with the inclusion of six Chiefs youngsters in the England Under-18 squad for their forthcoming tour of Australia at the end of August.

Jack Nowell, Sam Hill, Henry Slade, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jack Arnott and Sam Jones are all poised to head Down Under for their three-game tour, which is made up of fixtures against an Under-19 New South Wales Academy team on August 21, Australian A Schools on August 24, before their final match which is a full Test match against Australian Schools on August 28.

The inclusion of the six - which is the highest amount from any other club - in the 26-man squad is yet another indication of the excellent work being carried out at the club's two main Academy centres at Ivybridge and Truro Colleges.

Gibson said: "From our point of view it's really pleasing to have so many players selected for the under-18s – the system's working.

"With the Chiefs being in the Premiership we are retaining these players as well. In the past they may have gone elsewhere, but four of the lads (Nowell, Hill, Slade and Cowan-Dickie) are training full-time at Sandy Park and the other two (Arnott and Jones) are at school."

As part of their ever-growing rugby education, Nowell, Hill, Slade and Cowan-Dickie are to combine training full-time with the Chiefs with playing with Championship clubs on dual registration forms.

Hill (pictured), along with fellow young guns Dave Ewers, Lloyd Fairbrother and Charlie Walker-Blair are to feature for the Cornish Pirates this season, whilst Nowell, Slade and Cowan-Dickie will team up with fellow Chiefs Jon Vickers, Addison Lockley and Herbie Stupple down at Plymouth Albion.

Gibson can certainly see the benefits of exposing the club's crop of highly-rated youngsters to rugby at both Championship and A League level.

"Dual registering these players is key because it means in a year or 18 months' time they will definitely be ready to play in the Premiership," he added. "It would be nice for them to be in a position to step up and I think a couple of them could be pushing for a place in 12 months' time.

"A lot of hard work has gone into these players by the counties, the schools of rugby, clubs and schools and we're tapping into that now. The system is working, but while it's good to get them to this level, we have to make sure they become Premiership players. We want to see them running out at Sandy Park on a Saturday afternoon."

As well as pushing the youngsters towards a regular spot in the Aviva Premiership, Gibson hopes the Chiefs' six England under-18s players will also go on to win further international honours.

Having toured with the national side before, he hopes they retain a burning ambition to wear the England jersey at a higher level.

"A tour is a great way to learn and they get to wear the rose on their chest," said Gibson. "We have to make them hungry and to strive for that rose, to go on and play for the Under-20s and even further."

As well as Nowell, Hill, Slade, Jones, Cowan-Dickie and Arnott, Gibson said there are several younger players impressing within Exeter's academy.

They are aiming to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ben Moon, who featured 20 times for the first team last term.

"There's a lot coming through in the under-16s and the under-17s," Gibson said. "It's fantastic to produce them to train with the senior squad but the goal is to produce them to play at Sandy Park and follow Ben Moon. There is a massive amount of talent around the South West and Devon and we want to get them into the first team. In time that would be great for the club and the supporters."