A NUNNERY Wood High School physical education teacher has been appointed as England Rugby Counties' under 18s chairman of selectors.

Bee Bannister, who has taught at the Worcester school for 25 years, impressed in an interview at Twickenham.

Bannister will travel around the country, assessing and grading under 18s players who are not connected to a professional academy when they figure for their counties and divisions.

He will also assist with the organisation of England training camps before their international test match series against Ireland in March.

Bannister, a former Sale, Cheltenham and Malvern prop, is stepping down from his current post as Midlands under 18s team manager to take on his new role.

In addition to being an active rugby player he has been involved in district, county, divisional and England under 16s levels in rugby.

During that period he helped in the discovery and development of England and British and Irish Lions players Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George and Courtney Lawes.

Bannister said: “It’s a great honour for a teacher to be appointed to a national management team, especially for someone in the state sector.

"Although it is going to involve giving up personal time it gives me another opportunity to work with aspiring international rugby players.”