THE successful sporting achievements of her two strapping sons has thrust a Brixham mother into the national limelight.

Verna Armitage has been featured in the July edition of Readers Digest as a professional rugby mum to sons Delon and Steffon who both play for England.

Described by the magazine as a 'formidable woman', Verna was interviewed dressed in full pirate regalia after returning from a Brixham Buccaneers charity event.

The 43-year-old was propelled into the spotlight earlier this year when she became a regular fixture at England rugby matches when Delon and Steffon were named in England's starting XV to take on Italy in the opening game of the Six Nations.

She is a famously excitable spectator who is often picked out by the TV cameras wearing head-to-toe green when supporting London Irish, Delon and Steffon's club side, or red for England.

"They like having their mummy there," she told the magazine.

"They're not embarrassed by me, they're used to it."

According to Readers Digest, Verna found the media siege of Brixham during the Six Nations 'overwhelming'.

"I can remember going to my first interview in a BBC studio and my knees were knocking," she said.

"Then I thought, 'I'm just going to talk about my boys — why am I nervous'."

The highlight of Verna's past year was seeing her two boys run out on to the pitch together to play for their country.

Mother to six children — five boys aged between 13 and 26 and one eight-year-old girl — Verna is hoping for at least one other Armitage to join Delon and Steffon on the England team.

And it's possible she could even end up with four sons playing for their country.

Guy, 17, is a centre at Wellington College and London Irish and used to play for the England under-16s. Joel, 13, is a prop at Brixham Colts.

Both are tipped as future stars.

Her daughter Juanita, meanwhile, is already showing signs of promise at tennis.

The oldest brother Bevon plays rugby too — as a centre for Doncaster Knights and England Counties.