TWO youngsters from Sidmouth will get the chance to appear on TV alongside their rugby heroes after filming a starring role in a new series of adverts for Premiership sponsor Aviva.
Jack Garner and Finn Cotton, both eight, were selected to represent the Exeter Chiefs in the adverts after a nationwide hunt at every Premiership ground. (Watch the video below)
A film crew visited the pair at Sidmouth Rugby Club last month to catch them in action at a training session with some of their teammates, where the boys were interviewed and filmed playing rugby, as well as having their photos taken by a professional photographer.
"It's been really exciting for them, they're big Exeter Chiefs fans anyway so to be filmed doing what they love is fantastic, they've been talking about it all week," said Jack's dad Tom, 37, an estate ranger for Clinton Devon Estates.
"My parents especially are big rugby fans and love the Aviva Premiership Rugby programme so to tell them Jack was going to be on TV was really special."
The lads, who go to St Peter's Primary School in Budleigh Salterton, wowed casting directors from Aviva who scoured the country looking for the biggest fans from each Premiership club.
After impressing a camera crew at Exeter Chiefs' 40-6 victory over Worcester on October 26 with their love for everything Exeter, Jack's mum Rachel Garner, 38, admitted she was blown away to get the phone call telling them the pair had been selected.
"We weren't expecting it, I think I went into a bit of a flat spin thinking they were going to be on the telly," said Rachel, a teacher at Kenton Primary School
"They eat, breathe and sleep rugby and it's a great opportunity for them.
"Jack Nowell is Jack's hero, he has pictures all over the wall of him, we've umpteen numbers of autographs from programmes of all of the Chiefs players - in fact I know most of the Chiefs players now - and if he's not at school or asleep he's playing rugby, watching rugby or reading about rugby."
The new adverts are due to be debuted on ITV on December 22, and will wrap around the Aviva Premiership highlights show.
Fans from every Aviva Premiership Rugby club have been selected to star in the adverts, which aim to highlight the real, grassroots heroes of rugby across the country.
And the pair can't wait to have their day in the sun, with Finn adding: "It's brilliant because it's a once in a lifetime experience, I just couldn't believe it."
Jack was equally thrilled after an evening in front of the cameras.
