AN 11 year old local boy will be the envy of rugby fans everywhere, when he leads out the British and Irish Lions squad as their mascot tomorrow, as they play Australia in the second test at Melbourne.

Then, in full Lions' strip, and before a crowd of 52,000, he will place the ball in the centre of the Colonial Stadium, just before kick off at 7pm. In the UK it will be 10am in the morning. The match is also being televised live by Sky.

Bevil Luck and his mum Liz, from Lostwithiel, say despite their name nothing of this magnitude has ever happened to them before. They jetted off down under from Heathrow Airport on Wednesday, for an all expenses paid luxurious five night stay in Melbourne, which takes in the rugby match. The tickets have been arranged by NTL, the official Lions 2001 Tour sponsors.

Liz, a lifelong Cornish rugby fan, a passion she has inherited from her late father, won the dream trip by entering a draw she spotted in the Times Saturday magazine. It was inviting entries from parents with a child between the age of 9 and 12, offering the chance of becoming the mascot.

Liz had forgotten the competition until she received a call at Lanhydrock House where she works for National Trust in their Regional Office.

'I wasn't really concentrating and thought it was great I had won Bevil a Lions' rugby shirt, she said, 'and then when I realised what I had really won I couldn't work for the rest of the day I was so excited'.

Bevil was given the good news later in the day at his grandmother's where he goes after school. His friends at Fowey Primary School, apart from being envious, are also delighted at Bevil's good fortune, and when Liz wrote to his head teacher, John Dickinson, explaining why he would be absent from school, she says she received a letter back. 'Mr Dickinson said how pleased he was for Bevil, but thought he should join us on the trip as his personal tutor!

Bevil has not had the opportunity to play rugby yet, but has accompanied Liz to watch Cornwall play on several occasions, including Twickenham when they won the county championship. He is however, good at sport, and is the only boy member of the school's triple championship winning netball team. In September he will be going to Truro School where he has won a scholarship, and can't wait to start playing rugby. 'I still won't believe what has happened until I am actually in Australia with the team' said Bevil. 'I am looking forward to meeting the squad, especially Cornwall's Phil Vickery'.