CHARLIE Sharples’ outside chances of playing in this year’s Rugby World Cup have been dealt a blow after he was left out of England’s 34-man training squad for the Six Nations Championships which kick-off on February 6.

Former Dursley RFC junior Sharples has been a virtual ever-present in Gloucester’s first team this season, playing on the wing and covering a full-back for Rob Cook and Steve McColl in the past month.

But the 25-year-old has not been included in either the main England squad or indeed England Saxons, both of which were named by national coach Stuart Lancaster yesterday (Wednesday).

Sharples won the first of his four England caps as a second-half replacement against Wales at Twickenham during their 2011 World Cup warm-up fixture.

He made his first start against France in Paris in March the following year and went on to score two tries in the crushing 54-12 victory over Fiji on November 10 2012 before making the last of his England appearances in the defeat to Australia seven days later.

Lancaster has gone for fellow Gloucester wing Jonny May along with Bath’s Anthony Watson and Exeter’s Jack Nowell in the main squad, with Chris Ashton, of Saracens, Wasps’ Christian Wade and Marlon Yarde, of Harlequins, forming the Saxons wing contingent.

It will mean Sharples will join fellow Dursley star Ben Morgan, who would have played in the Six Nations had he not broke his leg playing for Gloucester against Saracens a fortnight ago, watching the Championships on TV and wondering if the World Cup is now beyond him.

It is not, though, beyond Gloucester centre Billy Twelvetrees who has been named in the Six Nations squad after returning to international action during last year’s Autumn Test Series.

And Kingsholm flanker Matt Kvesic, capped twice by England during their summer tour of Argentina in 2013, has been named in the Saxons squad.

Depending on who Lancaster chooses for the Six Nations opener in Cardiff, May and Twelvetrees could be against their Kingsholm clubmate Richard Hibbard in that titanic start to the competition.

Hibbard, who was criticised in the Autumn Tests by Wales national coach Warren Gatland when he turned out for Gloucester as a replacement against Harlequins in the Premiership when apparently unfit to face Fiji, has been included in their 34-man training squad, announced on Tuesday.

The British Lion will jostle for the hooker position against England with Ospreys Scott Baldwin and Cardiff Blues’ new cap Kristian Dacey.

But for the second successive time, Gatland has omitted Gloucester fly-half James Hook from the squad – and that has probably spelt the end of any hope that the 29-year-old had of making this year’s World Cup.

Gatland has included Ospreys Dan Biggar, Scarlets’ Rhys Priestland, who has just signed for Bath, and new cap Gareth Anscombe, the New Zealander with a Welsh mother who has been imported to Cardiff Blues, at fly-half and ignored Hook in the number ten jersey.