NEWS EXTRA
RED Roses newcomer Amelia Harper believes her experience of playing in the Six Nations has given her World Cup hopes a major boost.
Next year's showpiece event is being held in New Zealand and openside Harper is desperate to be a part of it in a position where England are blessed with quality.
The Loughborough Lightning player came off the bench to make her debut in the 19-13 win over France on the opening weekend of the tournament.
Described by head coach Simon Middleton as an outand- out seven, Harper is relishing the chance to learn from current firstchoice openside, Vicky Fleetwood.
“All three players in my position – Vicky, Marlie Packer and Heather Fisher – are really great players,” Harper told TRP. “I haven't met Marlie yet but I've watched her and I have played against her in the Premier 15s.
“She's an outstanding No.7; she's massively good over the ball, a good ballcarrier and aggressive, and ‘Fleeto' is the same – she is just a pure athlete, really quick.
“It's good having her here because she's helped me fine-tune a few things that maybe I wouldn't know due to my own lack of experience.
They are all incredibly good players and it's good to be able to look up to them and know that's where I need to be getting to in my standard.” Motivation to improve as a player is not hard to come by with Lightning teammates Sarah Hunter and Emily Scarratt in camp, the England captain and vicecaptain leading the charge to another Six Nations title.
With today's game against Italy postponed, Harper must wait for another chance to impress but knows that as long as she can produce the goods to remain in the squad her development will sky-rocket.
“It's always people's dreams to play in a World Cup, and to win a World Cup,” Harper added.
“Hopefully, next year we'll see if I've done enough to get in that squad.
If not then I will just go away and work on improving.
I am always trying to improve anyway but this has proven I am closer than I thought I was.”
