By Simon Mills, London & South East Regional Press Officer

World Cup hero Jason Leonard has had a train named after him. The NEC Harlequins and England star’s name will be carried by a train ferrying millions of commuters across his native Essex from Southend to Fenchurch Street Station in London.

Leonard, at 35, the world’s most capped rugby international said, “I thought parading around London on an open-topped bus was the peak of my career after the World Cup, but having a train named after me is a real tribute - I am very, very flattered,” said Leonard.