It is Down Under instead of up and under for an Australian Rules Football fanatic.

Vanessa Temple is well known as a star player for the Kendal Wasps rugby team but after going travelling she realised she had a natural talent for a sport played on the other side of the world.

Now she has been selected to represent England at the Axios Euro Australian Rules Cup in London.

The tournament, involving 20 mens and womens teams from across Europe, kicks off this weekend and Vanessa is relishing the challenge.

The 24 year old, now based in Kendal but originally from Broughton-in-Furness, said: "Ireland are the favourites but we've got a pretty good chance."

It is the first time England has been represented at the competition.

"At the end of the day we are making history because we are the first members of the England team," said Vanessa.

"The more the game grows and the more popular it gets then the more your name goes down in history."

In 2009 Vanessa went travelling to Australia and, already playing rugby for Cumbria, she took to Australian Rules like a duck to water.

Within a few weeks of first picking up an Aussie Rules ball she was playing for a team in Melbourne in the best league in the world.

Vanessa quickly rose to the top and regularly won the player of the match award - called Best and Fairest.

She said: "I'm one of those annoying people that is good at every sport! The tackling is similar to rugby but it's slightly different. In AFL you have to go for the ball and make them hold onto it to give away a free kick but in rugby you can tackle them anywhere. Sometimes I'd find myself going for a rugby tackle and not an AFL tackle! Also, in rugby I play inside centre for Kendal and full back for Cumbria but in Aussie Rules you have to be fast and strong in every position."

But any plans to return Down Under have been put on hold because Vanessa is currently undergoing trials for the North of England Women's rugby team.

"I would love to go back to Australia and play full time but there's no funding for Aussie Rules in this country whereas women's rugby has just turned professional," Vanessa said.