A rugby playing teenager is getting too big for his boots after reaching a giant size 16 – leaving his mum with a large problem.

Samuel Beach, who plays number eight for Stevenage Rugby Club under-17s, is a towering six-foot six, with feet to match, leaving him with a headache - or rather foot ache - as he has outgrown last season’s boots.

His mum Denise, of Lingfield Road, Stevenage, said she has tried to find a size 16 everywhere, but was told by manufacturers demand is too low to make them.

“I cannot find any to buy at all and he will have to give up which will be awful.

“He’s got two pairs at the moment, one very old and one semi-old. He can probably carry on to Christmas, but after that I don’t know – elephant tape?”

She has found a size 17 football boot on ebay, she added, and size 16 rugby boots in the States.

“They do sell them in America. But it costs $50 just to send them. And then they might not fit,” she said. “I’m sure professional players have them made for them, but they cost hundreds of pounds, and we can’t afford that as a normal family.”

Samuel, who has just begun his A-Levels at Nobel School, shows no sign of stopping growing either, leaving his five-foot six sister in the shade.

“He’s just gone beserk,” Denise said. “And he’s still going up. He eats like a horse, so that might have something to do with it.”

If you can help Samuel stay in the scrum, or have gone through similar experiences, get in touch with us at www.thecomet24.co.uk