By Martin Morgan

Published at 11:08, Thursday, 08 March 2012

WIGAN’S Lee Mossop has been promoted to the full England squad for the first time.

full england call: Lee Mossop

The ex-Hensingham starlet is one of four top prospects who have moved in to the England Elite Training squad after impressing for the second-string Knights in 2011.

And he is among eight uncapped players in the 32-man squad that will form the nucleus of the national team up to the World Cup in 2013.

England will start their current campaign with two matches against the Exiles in the summer and an international triangular series in the autumn against France and Wales.

Fellow prop Jamie Peacock, from Leeds Rhinos, will skipper the team, and Mossop, from Whitehaven, will be up against the likes of Warrington pair Adrian Morley and Garreth Carvell, Ryan Bailey of Leeds and Hudderfield’s Eorl Crabtree for a place in the side.

“Over the past 12 months we have made excellent progress throughout our international programme,” said coach Steve McNamara.

“We now have a long term plan with our programme of activity in place for the next two years. This approach, as we continue to build up to the RL World Cup, gives me and the players’ clarity and a clear structure.

“We have two very exciting squads that can build on last year’s efforts on reaching the Gillette Four Nations final.

“In addition I am monitoring on a weekly basis our eight Australian-based players, who will play a pivotal role in our plans. Our aim now is to retain the current crop of players and realise our ambition of winning the RL World Cup in 2013.”

The squad will meet at their Loughborough base next week and a further four camps will be held this year including a 10-day high altitude camp in the autumn.

Ex-Workington Town youngster Shaun Lunt, the Huddersfield Giants forward, has been named in the 24-strong Knights squad.

They play Ireland in June and will join Ireland, Italy and Scotland in the Alitalia Cup in the autumn.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk