CHARLIE SHARPLES has been named in England’s 45-man World Cup training squad after helping the Saxons retain the Churchill Cup on Saturday.

The Dursley youth product will be in competition with the likes of his Gloucester team-mate, James Simpson-Daniel, British Lion Ugo Monye and Saracens winger David Strettle for a place in the final squad of 30 which will travel to New Zealand in September.

England face home and away World Cup warm-up Tests against Wales in August, followed by an appointment with Ireland in Dublin five days after senior manager Martin Johnson trims the group down.

Johnson, who captained England to World Cup glory in 2003, said: “Every one of these players has the chance to be in that final 30 going to New Zealand.

“The camp is going to be intense and competitive, as you would expect leading up to a World Cup, but all the players are ready for it.

“We have guys such as Lewis Moody, Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Tindall who have been in this situation before but also a lot of players who won’t have experienced a World Cup training camp. It’s now up to all of them to set down their marker over the next ten weeks before we head to New Zealand.”

Sharples impressed Johnson in his three games for England Saxons this summer, which culminated with him scoring in their 37-6 win over Canada in the Churchill Cup Final at Sixways.

Sharples scored England’s fourth try in the 71st minute when he gathered the ball from Mouritz Botha’s kick through and then held off a tackler to roll over and score.

The 22-year-old was called up by the Saxons for the first time at the end of last month and he scored on his debut as a substitute in the 87-8 win over the USA before playing the full 80 minutes of the 41-14 victory over Tonga.

Sharples, who has previously represented England under-20s at the 2008 and 2009 IRB Junior World Championships, scored 18 tries in 25 starts for Gloucester last season and helped them win the LV=Cup.

Former Frampton Cotterell youth player Dave Attwood was left out of the England squad after he suffered a knee injury in the Saxons’ win over Tonga.

The 24-year-old lock is now concentrating on getting fit for the start of the new season with his new club Bath.