A TEENAGE rugby player said it "felt so surreal" to find out she was one step closer to representing England on the international stage.
The 16-year-old Clacton player Faryn Bissessur is honing her skills at Saracens Academy of Rugby at Oaklands.
She has balanced gruelling training with plumbing studies and the challenge of living away from home.
And now she is joining the England under 18s pathway.
Her selection is another milestone in a journey driven by determination, family support and a desire to prove girls belong in rugby.
Faryn said: “It all just felt so surreal because I know that I worked so hard to get to that position. To be accepted was unbelievable.
“I felt thankful and focused on improvement – what it takes to keep my spot and to progress.”
Her achievement rests on a demanding routine on and off the pitch.
She combines college with a four-hour round trip by bus and about four hours of training three times a week.
Weekend pathway training is backed by work on nutrition, recovery, video analysis and extra skills practice.
She is also adapting to hooker after previously feeling more comfortable at number eight.
The switch has been challenging, but Faryn said it was improving her throwing and scrummaging while boosting her confidence with coaches’ support.
Living away from home has also been tough as she adjusts to new surroundings, new people and managing her studies alone.
“My parents have most definitely helped me get to where I am today, and I am incredibly grateful for their commitment and support throughout my journey,” she said.
“They've always told me that they will ‘match your efforts’, and they've never once backed down from that.”
Oaklands staff, friends, family and local residents have helped her adjust, while donations have supported her fundraising.
Golden Fillet and Manleys are sponsoring her towards a 125cc moped to make her college commute easier.
Faryn is also taking the two-year DiSE (Diploma in Sporting Excellence) programme, worth 64 UCAS points, alongside her plumbing course.
It covers technical and tactical development, nutrition, psychology, recovery and athlete lifestyle management, preparing her for a professional sporting career.
But her progress has come with personal challenges.
“Although mental health never left and still challenges me from time to time, I feel as though I am far better at coping and overcoming my down days,” she said.
“I have learnt that this can be shared by talking to parents, rugby mates and even coaches.”
“I am very fond of the saying ‘every problem shared is a problem halved’ and recommend that young athletes talk about their worries more openly, as it is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of.”
At school, Faryn was told her ambition to play professional rugby was unrealistic.
Rather than allowing those comments to discourage her, she used them as motivation to keep working towards her goals.
Her local rugby community has played an important role in that journey.
After training at her local club, she played for the BOBCATs cluster, made up of Bancroft, Southend and Old Brentwoods RFC, then attended Essex trials and completed a full season with the squad.
She later won the Players’ Player award for the 2025/26 season.
During a recent half-term break, she returned to Clacton RFC to help coach its under-12 and under-14 girls’ teams, inspiring her to support the next generation.
“I would 100 per cent encourage any young girl thinking about taking rugby seriously to go for it,” she said.
“If you've got a goal, work towards it and give yourself the chance to achieve it.
“It takes months and months of dedication and practice to improve and refine skills – do not give up or feel embarrassed.”
Faryn’s immediate goal is to make the England U18 squad this season while continuing her physical, technical and tactical development at Saracens Academy of Rugby.
Her long-term ambition is to play professional rugby and represent England’s Red Roses.
“I'm proud of how far I've come, but I'm even more excited about what I could achieve if I keep putting the work in,” she said.
Before earning her Essex place, Faryn recovered from a knee injury that had previously ruled her out.
She spent Year 9 being home-schooled because of her mental health before returning to the classroom and improving her mock-examination results.
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