A 14-year-old schoolboy showed the adults how it's done when he stepped in to referee a senior rugby match.

Grant Coombes, who goes to Basildon's Woodlands School, was attending Rayleigh Wyverns' fixture at Old Bealonians when the ref failed to show.

With the second team official taking first-team duties, a new ref was needed for the reserve fixture or it would have to be called off.

Various spectators turned down the job - leaving Grant, the son of Rayleigh first-team skipper Roy, to step in and save the day.

Grant, who lives in Langdon Hills and plays scrum-half for Basildon under-15s, has already taken his basic referee's training on an official RFU course. However, this was the first time he had reffed a proper match.

Dad Roy said: "I'm really proud - especially the way he took a no-nonsense approach. He even threatened to yellow card one of the Old Bealonians players for stepping out of line!"

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