Three secondary school students from Caerphilly County Borough have been selected to compete at the 2017 School Games National Finals.
The School Games are an integrated multi-sport event for the UK’s most talented school-age athletes, and will take place at Loughborough University between Thursday, August 31 and Sunday, September 3.
Rhys Bartlett, 15, Matthew Monckton, 16, will represent Wales Boys in volleyball, while Imogen Shide, 17, has been selected in the rugby sevens squad.
The trio will hope to follow in the footsteps of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars who have gone on to senior international success having competed at the School Games.
Around 1,600 athletes from around the UK will compete in 12 sports at the Games. The four-day event is a springboard for future athletes, with 56 of the 382 Team GB athletes at the 2016 Rio Olympics previously competing in the School Games.
Rhys and Matthew are both members of the Cardiff Celts Volleyball Club, and will live in a dedicated Atheltes’ Village on the campus.
Bedwas High School pupil Rhys said: “I have met Ben Pipes who is the captain of the GB Olympic Volleyball Team and I would love to compete at the same level someday. The School Games are definitely a step towards that.”
Meanwhile, Imogen, who is a student at Blackwood Comprehensive and a member of Nelson RFC, already has an impressive record of success, having been a part of the Wales Sevens squad which recently came third at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas.
She added: “It helped me dream of what I could do in the future.”
Ali Oliver, Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “The School Games National Finals provide a great opportunity for talented young athletes like Rhys, Matthew, and Imogen.
“Competitors get a real taste of what it’s like to be part of a world-class sporting event at the amazing sporting venues of Loughborough University, and the event is a great way to see our future sporting champions in action today.”