West Bowling rookie Elliot Minchella has been selected in the final 21-man England under-16 squad to play France in a two-match Test series at Easter.

The highly-rated 15-year-old loose forward from Clayton Heights plays for West Bowling under-18s and is also in the final year of a scholarship at Leeds Rhinos.

He hails from a family of Bulls fans and was previously on the books at Odsal before switching to Leeds and earning his first England cap against Wales last summer.

Proud dad Chris – a staunch Bradford supporter – said: “Obviously I’m very proud and this is another step in the right direction to where Elliot wants to go.

“It further justifies his decision to go to Leeds and we’re over the moon that he has made the England squad after it was cut from 42 to 21.”