ENGLAND women’s international Sarah Hunter launches West Mercia Police’s tag rugby tournament for primary schools at Hindlip today.

Eighteen teams will compete after making it through qualifying events in Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.

They will battle for a place at the West Midlands tournament, organised by the Rugby Football Union, and then the national finals.

The top two sides go forward to appear at Twickenham next season before an England international.

Last year’s West Mercia winners, St Lawrence’s School from Church Stretton, Shropshire, went on to win the national tournament and provided the guard of honour ahead of England’s test with Australia.

They are back this year to defend their West Mercia title.

More local interest comes from Worcester’s Oldbury Park Primary, St John’s, and Lyppard Grange Primary, Warndon Villages, Northleigh Primary, Malvern, Cookley Sebright Primary, near Kidderminster, and a number of Herefordshire schools.

Community rugby coach Hunter, the Yazoo tag rugby ambassador, is this year’s special guest.

West Mercia Police have been developing their tag rugby initiative for nearly three years with the RFU and Child Victims of Crime (CVOC).

The force has trained more than 150 local police officers and community support officers to deliver coaching and run tournaments as part of their youth inclusion programme.

They started the programme in late 2007 with 15 schools.