Amy Morgan from Whitland has been selected to be part of the Rugby 7s squad 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 from August 31 -September 3.

Eighteen-year-old Amy, who is a student at the Ysgol Dyffryn Taf in Whitland and a member of the Whitland RFC, will compete for the Wales squad at the event. She already has an impressive record of success: she played for the U18 Wales Rugby 7s squad and recently represented the Wales team in the Commonwealth Youth Games Rugby 7s, coming third.

Around 1,600 athletes will compete across 12 sports at the School Games, seven of which include disability disciplines. The four-day event is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust.

Amy will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars who have competed at the School Games before going on to senior international success.

Previous competitors include Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, Olympic champion Adam Peaty, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and GB sprinter Adam Gemili.

The School Games are the springboard for future athletes: 56 of the 382 athletes representing Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio competed at the School Games.

At the event, Amy will experience the excitement of competing at the highest level. She will live in a dedicated athletes’ village on the Loughborough University campus, take part in an opening ceremony and perform in front of huge crowds of spectators.

Amy says she is looking forward to competing at the School Games.

“Watching the Welsh 7s teams playing in the London Olympics really inspired me,” she says.

“The School Games National Finals provide a great opportunity for talented young athletes like Amy,” says Ali Oliver, chief executive officer of the Youth Sport Trust. “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.”

Tickets for the event are available at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/2017schoolgames