And after bouncing back from her initial disappointment Thomas admits it is a dream come true to be included.

“I was absolutely delighted to find out that I had been called up,” she said.

“Especially because to start with I wasn’t selected so I had already prepared myself for another season in club rugby trying to improve.

“I was targeting a place in the squad next year and was prepared to start knuckling down this year to get myself ready for cracking the elite squad some time soon.

“But to get the call up now is amazing and I have really have to re-focus, the hard work starts from now on as far as I'm concerned.

“It’s up to me to prove that my selection is warranted and I would love to win my first cap this year but it won’t come easy.”

Indeed Thomas has a number of rivals for the number two shirt in the form of Lichfield’s Victoria Fleetwood and Richmond’s Amy Turner.

But the 20-year-old is already looking forward to mixing it with some of the world’s best on a daily basis.

“It will just be an amazing opportunity for me to train with players like Margaret Alphonsi and Katy McLean,” she added.

“I’m really excited about it all and the chance to learn from the best is a massive opportunity, there is great experience in this squad in every area of the pitch.”