A RUGBY player who started as a seven-year-old with the Bicester club is being tipped to become one of the stars of the world game.

Gloucester flanker James Forrester, who was born and bred in Oxford, looks certain to play a part in England's 2003 World Cup campaign.

He has trained with the national squad for the past three weeks and came close to selection for today's international against South Africa at Twickenham.

"It's been a fantastic experience training alongside the likes of Martin Johnson and Johnny Wilkinson," said the emerging 21-year-old.

"Before I left the England squad this week, Clive Woodward told me that I had been very close to making it on the bench for the South Africa match, and that if I stuck to my game, I might get a chance in the Six Nations."

One of Forrester's main attributes is his ability to score tries. Despite missing nearly half the matches, he was Gloucester's leading scorer last season and has already scored five this term.

According to his dad, James admired the ball-handling skills of Australian legend David Campese and practised flipped passes and swivels for hours on his own.

Forrester has seemed destined for the top for his early days at Bicester, where he was coached by his father Nick, who represented Oxford RFC for 15 years until the mid-1980s.

Rugby was also in his family's genes. His maternal grandfather David Naylor played for Cardiff and Coventry, while his uncle, Martin Naylor, turned out for Rosslyn Park.

James, whose family home is a short punt away from Oxford University's Iffley Road rugby ground, was part of a successful boys side at Bicester, who won the county cup at every age group.

His talents were spotted early on, and both Forrester and Bicester teammate Jon Goodridge were awarded rugby scholarships to St Edward's School, Oxford.

There, James scored a record 35 tries during one season, not bad for a No 8!

His school coach, Ben Ryan, predicts a big future for Forester, whose particular talents are suited to sevens rugby.

"He is going to be a world-class player and, injury permitting, will be in his prime for the 2007 World Cup, when he could be one of England's key players," said Ryan. After St Edward's, it was next stop Gloucester, chosen by his father because of the town's rugby traditions.

"Everyone in the town wears the colours of the Cherry & Whites rather than Manchester United," explained Nick.

After leaving school, James, who is 6ft 4 in and weighs in at 16 stone, built up his strength by building log cabins for his father's company Norwegian Log Buildings, who are based in Reading.

James, who also played water polo and football as a schoolboy, now shares a flat with Goodridge, who followed exactly the same route to the club, but whose career as a full back and winger has been hampered by injury.

Indeed, there's quite a Bicester contingent at Kingsholm, where scrum half Andy Gomarsall is trying to force his way back into the England team.

For all their recent success, England struggle to turn pressure into points, and this is where Forrester's knack of scoring tries could count in his favour.

This time next year he could be part of the England team that wins the World Cup.