The South Hams is putting its name firmly on the rugby map following the England U20 team's victory at the recent junior world championship.

England have, for the first time in their history, finished the competition as champions, with former Ivybridge Rugby Club member and South Hams resident Henry Slade playing a pivotal role at fly-half, kicking 13 points in the final.

Afterwards, Slade spoke to this paper, saying: 'It hasn't really sunk in yet, Everyone was over the moon, all the boys were celebrating in the changing rooms afterwards.

'The disallowed try kind of summed up our first half, we were trying to force things a bit too much, but credit to Wales. The second half I thought we retained the ball a lot better and managed to come back for the win.'

Speaking about his own individual performance, Henry was the true professional, and sounded very like a player he admires, fellow world cup winner Johnny Wilkinson, valuing the team before himself.

He said: 'I was pleased with my performance, more so second half, but I think most of the boys would say that.

'It's not really that important to me how I play, really, it's just about getting the right result.'

Slade was not the only South Hams-linked player turning out for England however.

Ivybridge Community College student Joel Conlon, 18, a flanker, missed out on the match day 23 in the final, but he made his presence felt earlier in the tournament, picking up a brace of tries in England's record 109-0 demolition of the USA.

Centre Sam Hill, who had a storming semi-final against New Zealand before showing all his pace and strength to score the vital second England try in the final, is another former student at Ivybridge Community College, and now plies his trade with Premiership outfit Exeter Chiefs alongside Slade and Conlon.

It was Slade, in fact, whose cute pass released Hill on 63 minutes for the try that put England level. Hill still had plenty to do, but brushed aside some tired-looking tackles from Wales to dive over the line.

Slade stepped up to calmly slot the conversion and give England the lead for the first time at 17-15, from where they never looked back.

There was still time for Hill to make another thunderous tackle to stop a Welsh attack, and for Slade to kick his third penalty of the night to go with his brace of conversions, meaning he slotted 12 out of 14 kicks in the semi-final and final.

Deputy principal at Ivybridge Community College, Malcolm Collins, is always pleased to have more England age-group shirts to hang up on the wall, even though the shirts at this most successful of sporting schools now unbelievably run alongside a staircase going up three floors.

Speaking about Joel and Sam, who left in 2012 and 2011 respectively, Collins said: 'They were both really nice, polite young men, never got into any trouble, and have worked hard to get where they are.

'They'll now become the new role models for people at the college. It's always interesting to see boys you know in person playing on the television and Sam is a real physical presence.'

Having lost to the 'Baby Blacks', New Zealand, in three previous finals in this relatively young competition, which is only in its sixth year, England knew they were up against it in the semi-finals.

Indeed, South Africa's defeat of New Zealand in the finals last year was the first time New Zealand had failed to win the competition.

However, eighteen points from the boot of Slade, combined with a powerful defence epitomised by centre Hill's barnstorming display in midfield, set up an all-northern hemisphere final with a brilliant 33-21 victory.

The final was a truly nail-biting affair, with England slipping to a 15-3 half-time deficit, and having a man sin-binned with the last play of the half as a try was disallowed.

Henry's father John, who lives in Yealmpton, had travelled over with three generations of the Slade family to watch Henry go for glory in the final.

He said: 'We thought it had gone, to be honest.

'It was an amazing atmosphere, it was a pretty partisan crowd once again, but they seem to have got used to that, it was the same in north Wales when they won the Six Nations.

'He got a lot from playing with his clubmates from Exeter Chiefs. This was his last year of junior rugby, and what a way to sign off.

'He's living the dream, and mine too.'