THE Sussex-born silver medal-winning Team GB rugby sevens captain is already inspiring youngsters back in his home county to go for medal glory.

Rugby club members as young as six have been watching replays of Tom Mitchell's movements on the pitch out in Rio de Janeiro to hone their skills when they grow up.

They were celebrating yesterday after watching a tumultuous match on Thursday night where, even though the team was described as being "demolished" by Fiji who scooped a 43-7 win in the final.

But they still came away happy - even crying tears of joy - as they picked up an Olympic medal in second place.

Giles Harden, secretary for the East Grinstead club where the 27-year-old used to play, said everyone was so proud.

He said: "Everyone watched the matches and we are absolutely delighted with the outcome. We are so proud. The final was a tough day at the office for them - when you are up against someone like Fiji, the best rugby team in the world. They were fantastic in the run up to it, beating South Africa and New Zealand. There were some really significant moments for Tom in particular.

"He played at this club before my time but it is great to know someone who started out in here has gone on to such great things. It is an amazing feeling to know something like that happened."

Mr Harden said the podium finish was already inspiring young rugby hopefuls back at the club.

He said: "I have been watching replays of the matches with my six-year-old son Isaac and we look at his moves on the pitch. It's incredibly inspirational for all our youngsters. It fills us with hope for future Olympics."

Cuckfield-born Tom is a former Worth Abbey School student. His father Alan used to play for both Lewes and Sussex rugby teams. He coached the Sussex Age group sides as a teacher at Sackville, East Grinstead and later Worth Abbey. He debuted for the England rugby team at the 2012 Wellington sevens. Last year he fractured his leg and dislocated his ankle during the sevens world series and was injured during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in a match against Australia.

Yesterday he said: "I had a few tears at the end. Everyone has worked so hard, and it has been an amazing journey. There were those who thought we wouldn't do so well out here, and we knew we had to come here and scrap. We knew it was about working hard."

Elated by the result yesterday, he took to social media simply to say "wow" and tell his followers how much he loved "his boys".