PRESTON Grasshoppers' Tongan player Sengili Tuhialamaka is heading off to tackle international competition in the Rugby World Cup later this year.

The South Pacific islander, who has impressed Hoppers fans this season with his speed and power has been selected to play for the Tonga squad for the repechage stage of the competition .

He has previously played for his country's under 21's and the sevens' team, but now his dream has come true as he prepares to take his country to the biggest rugby competition of all.

Sengili came to Preston, last year, to study sports science at Myerscough College specialising in rugby, with the aim of one day becoming a coach.

The 24-year-old faces a long journey for his first full international outing as his country take on Georgia, in the former Soviet Union.

If he and his team-mates are successful they may will qualify for the finals in Australia in October.

Sengili, who kicks the conversions and penalties, has been in scorching form with the boot for Hoppers, this season.

Before dislocating his shoulder earlier this month in a match against New Brighton he had scored a total of 128 points for the club with 70 conversions, 22 penalties and two tries.

He said: "I'm very excited to represent my country in the World Cup and I look forward to training hard with the Grasshoppers when I've recovered."

The injury, however, meant he missed out on a friendly match between Myerscough College and Preston's twin town, Nimes, on Monday (above right).

Phil Leck, director of youth development at the college and Grasshoppers, said: "He's doing very well. He's a very popular lad and he's also working hard at his studies."

The rugby academy is in its trial year and students study 18 different modules, covering all aspects of sport, from marketing to body mechanics with allocated training time set aside in their chosen field of either rugby or football.