By Kostas Lionas

Mottingham youngster Harvey Jeffrey admits he is counting down the days until the rugby World Cup kicks off after being surprised by Land Rover with the news that he is an official mascot.

Along with his Blackheath team, Jeffrey attended a Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup game at Wasps last season.

It was there that the 12-year-old impressed with his rendition of the national anthem, which has now earned him his own spot in the tournament.

Jeffrey will now be France’s mascot when they face Romania at the Olympic Stadium on September 23 - and the Bickley Park School pupil can’t wait to get going.

“It feels great, to be honest - this is a once in a lifetime thing,” said Jeffrey, one of 96 official World Cup mascots selected by Land Rover as part of its ‘We Deal in Real’ campaign.

“The atmosphere will be amazing once we walk out with the players.

“My mum said just give it a go and so I sang the national anthem.

“We heard back four weeks later and I was shocked, I didn’t know if it was real.”

Lewis Moody knows just how important a World Cup is, having helped England lift the trophy in 2003.

And the Land Rover ambassador admits he would love to be in Jeffrey’s shoes.

Moody said: “Harvey has earned the right to be part of such an amazing experience as a home rugby World Cup and to be honest I am jealous.

“I'd have bitten your arm off to play in a home rugby World Cup. I was too young and immature in 1999 and now sadly I'm too old and too mature.

“Sometimes a rugby World Cup can seem a bit inaccessible to people so the fact that Land Rover have been taking the Webb Ellis Cup around the country and also selecting mascots is fantastic.”

He added: “It’s like the rugby World Cup is coming to you – I love that.

“It’s inviting young players to get involved with the rugby World Cup, understand what it’s about and get excited by it. It’s brilliant.”

Land Rover is a Worldwide Partner of rugby World Cup 2015 and is recruiting all 96 official mascots for the Tournament as part of its ‘We Deal In Real’ campaign.

Follow @LandRoverRugby #WeDealInReal