Mitcham has a rising England star expected to make a big impact representing his nation in South Africa this month.

But at over 6ft and weighing 18 stone, it is a good job that 17-year-old Kyle Sinkler will be playing rugby when he represents the country’s junior side against the Rainbow nation.

The giant prop, living in Edgehill Road and now involved in the Harlequins youth set up, is tipped for big things. But his rise towards the top has not followed a traditional path.

A former Graveney School student, he was the only non-privately educated player in the line up for the England under-16 team when he received his first international call-up.

Yet according to Kyle, his success is indicative of how the sport has changed in the professional era. He said: “Rugby is constantly changing and becoming a bigger and bigger sport. People going to schools like Gravney and Ernest Bevin are getting chances to be spotted like I was with the Harlequins academy.

“I’ve never thought about it in terms of being the only person not to go to a private school in the team. It’s not really like that, I play to have fun and get along well the guys.

After winning the junior grand slam title in this year’s Six Nations, Kyle will take on some of the Southern Hemisphere’s best talent when he leaves the day after the World Cup final.

He said: "It’s a great opportunity to test myself against the best and find out how far I have to go and how hard I’ll have to work to get to the top.

"And I don’t think we’ll be distracted by everything else going on around the football. We’re out there to do a job and hopefully we’ll deliver."