England's never ending rugby season

Being an England international is close to being a full time job with little or no break between one season and another. You may have ended your season at the end of May - and some clubs are just starting their pre-season training for the 2009-10 season - but for England the 2008-09 season is still in full swing.

A glance at what England have been faced with since this time last year is pretty amazing:

• June 2008: Home Nations Sevens (Edinburgh)
• June 2008: European Sevens & World Cup qualifier (France)
• August 2008: Nations Cup (Esher)
• December 2008: Unofficial friendly v Irish Presidents XV (Dublin)
• January - March 2009: Six Nations
• February 2009: San Diego Sevens (USA)
• March 2009: World Sevens Cup (Dubai)
• July 2009: European Sevens (Hannover)

... and still ahead...

• August 2009: Nations Cup (Canada)
• September 2009: Series v New Zealand (England)
• January - March 2010: Six Nations
• Spring 2010: FIRA European Championship (TBC)
• July 2010: European Sevens (TBC)
• August 2010: Nations Cup (TBC)
• September 2010: World Cup (England)

Their next challenge is the defence of their European Sevens title. After a disappointing IRB World Sevens, next month England will take on the best nine women's sevens teams at Hannover in Germany. The two day tournament will run from 11th to 12th July, and the draw has just been made.

England are in a group along with Portugal, Sweden, Spain, and France and will play the first three on the Saturday, finishing off their group games on Sunday morning against France. After that it will be the quarter-finals, semi-finals and (hopefully) a final - and another trophy. Then its all of two weeks before the new season starts on 1st August - with the team immediately jetting off to Canada for the Nations Cup!