Leicester Tigers hooker George Chuter regained his place in the England elite player squad with strong performances in the England Saxons' victory at the 2008 Churchill Cup.

Chuter first made an impact in rugby when invited to trial with Saracens in 1996, going on to make over sixty appearances for the London club before taking a sabbatical from rugby in 2000 to travel the USA and Australia.

During his time at Saracens Chuter made his debut for the England A side against France and made an uncapped appearance against New Zealand Academies on England's 1998 "Tour to Hell".

Upon his return to England in 2000, Chuter signed for Leicester Tigers. In his first seasons there he competed with Dorian West for the number 2 jersey, gradually building his stock in the Premiership. He was included in the England Saxons 2004 and 2005 Churchill Cup squads, before making his full England debut during the 2006 summer tour of Australia.

He enjoyed a high impact debut from the bench in Sydney, before marking his first start in an England shirt with a try in the second test at Melbourne's Telstra Dome.

Chuter confirmed his arrival on the international stage with appearances in all of England's 2006 Autumn Internationals and a prominent role in the 2007 Six Nations. While he was unable to tour South Africa with England the summer due to Heineken Cup commitments, a losing effort in the final against Wasps, Chuter was included in the squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

He found starting opportunities limited by the re-emergence of veteran Mark Regan, but made appearances in all of England's games en route to the final. Chuter's stock seemed to drop following the World Cup, with only two replacement appearances during the 2008 Six Nationas and exclusion from the touring squad to New Zealand.

A win in the Churchill Cup with the Saxons helped Chuter regain his place amongst England's elite over the summer.

Scrum Staff September 2008