Amersham Tom Clifford was thrilled to see his favourite team play at the weekend as he trod the turf at Twickenham during the Premiership Rugby Final and met legendary Lion Sam Warburton.

Clifford, 12, who plays for Amersham and Chilton Rugby Club, won the opportunity to rub shoulders with English rugby’s elite after impressing at London Irish Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup festival.

This successful series of nationwide rugby festivals, now running for nearly two decades and organised by Land Rover – the Official Vehicle of Premiership Rugby – has seen more than 100,000 children take part to date, with some realising their dreams of going on to play for Premiership Rugby clubs.

Each Premiership Rugby Club hosted a festival this season, with the U12 winning team and the successful U11 team decided based on their demonstration of the core values of the game, getting the chance to take part in the half-time Parade of Champions on the pitch at Twickenham and meeting a host of Land Rover ambassadors.

Graduates of the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup have gone on to realise their rugby ambitions, with several players now playing for Premiership Rugby clubs, including Louis Lynagh at Harlequins and Callum Chick at Newcastle Falcons.

Clifford said: "I'm a Saracens supporter so it's great that we got to see them play.

"And I was really excited to see George Ford versus Owen Farrell because it's a good match-up.

"I'm really proud of my own team too. We didn't concede a single try to win our festival and get here so that's great for our defence and I'm really happy with the team.

"I'm really excited as we have some more players coming into the team and we're going to keep building and hopefully can just get better and better and achieve more."

Amersham and Chilton Rugby Club coach, Richard Clifford hailed the performance of his team this season and thanked the festival for giving them the opportunity to watch some world-class rugby.

He said: "I'm really proud of the team and the performances that they've put on this year. I think it's fantastic that Land Rover help sponsor this competition and put it on and fantastic of Premier Rugby to host us all today.

"They boys are really excited to be here and we're all having the best time."

Land Rover ambassador Sam Warburton was speaking at this season’s Premiership Final, where he met hundreds of youngsters from the national grassroots initiative.

He said: "Sport's so important because it teaches kids how to communicate, how to win and how to lose. That comradery and a sense of belonging.

"That's why I love rugby, being a team sport and it's physical and it's tough but it's a great feeling and you get that at a professional level as well as grassroots.

"The Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup is a great taste in that success when you can see hundreds of kids around you play.

"As a young person that's an amazing sense of achievement so I love how this is the opportunity we give these kids.

"Just to give them that bit of motivation. Some kids will just enjoy the moment for what it is but I think there will be a penny that drops for a few of them that are uber competitive that will kick them onto greater things."