PORTLAND’S Rhodri Tanner has just completed his first full year in senior rugby.

The Weymouth & Portland product, who plays at hooker, has appeared a number of times for Nottingham in both the British and Irish Cup and also in the Greene King IPA Championship – England’s second tier of rugby.

Current Loughborough University student, Tanner, who has a Welsh father, was invited to train and play in the Wales Students side in March this year.

After some intensive sessions at the Vale of Glamorgan centre, which is the base for the Welsh national side, Tanner played for the students against the Grand Slam-winning Wales Under-20 side prior to their appearance at the World Under-20 Championships to be held in Manchester next month.

Although the students lost the game to a more cohesive side who had been in camp for the previous six weeks, they offered stern resistance before going down by 35- 15 points.

Tanner, who is eligible for Wales Under-20 next year had a strong game and made some powerful carries.

His ambition now is to stake a claim in the Wales side for next year.

The front-row forward owes a lot to those that have helped him so far, including Weymouth & Portland head coach, Paul Harding.