Newquay rugby fan enjoys 'best day of his life' as England mascot

An eight-year-old rugby player from Newquay has described walking onto the pitch with the England team at Twickenham as the "best day of his life".

Henry, who plays for Newquay Hornets Under-9s, was given the opportunity by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to be one of England's mascots for their international against Australia last weekend.

The young rugby fan travelled to Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, where he was given a behind-the-scenes experience ahead of the match.

His duties began outside The Spirit of Rugby, where he waved an England flag to welcome the players as they arrived.

He was then taken pitchside to watch both teams warm up, with several players stopping to speak to Henry and the three other mascots.

Shortly before kick-off, he joined the England squad in the tunnel, where he had a brief conversation with England player Henry Pollock.

He was then paired with Ollie Chessum, accompanying the England international onto the pitch in front of 81,334 spectators.

Henry joined the players in observing a minute's silence before singing the national anthem alongside the team.

Dream of playing for England

The experience was particularly special for Henry, who is a keen rugby player and supporter.

He described the occasion as the "best day of his life" and hopes that one day he might return to Twickenham to run out onto the pitch again - this time as an England player.

The memorable day was rounded off with an England victory, as the home side defeated Australia 45-22.