Exeter Chiefs centre Ollie Devoto paid a special visit to Peter Betteridge bed store in Honiton this week, in partnership with sleep and wellbeing brand Mammoth.

Following the store re-opening earlier this month, professional rugby player Ollie was there to unveil the newly designed Mammoth studio in a socially distanced visit to highlight the importance of sleep for both mental and physical wellbeing.

Representatives from Honiton Rugby Club were invited to meet Ollie on the day, including two players from the Club's Juniors team, who hope to follow in his footsteps. They learnt about what it takes to reach the top of the game and heard how Ollie himself joined a junior club at the age of seven and progressed through the ranks at school, club, county and national levels.

Mammoth and Peter Betteridge also arranged for Ollie to sign four Exeter Chiefs rugby balls which were donated to Honiton Rugby Club Juniors and will go into auctions planned for the 22nd of May, 12th of June and the 26th of June to raise much-needed funds.

Ollie said: "It was great to visit the new Mammoth studio at Peter Betteridge and meet with some young rugby stars of the future.

"My years of playing at professional level have taught me the value of rest and recovery when it comes to performing at your best. When your sleep isn't the best quality, it has an effect on training and performance, and I think it's important for youngsters to learn the benefits of sleep from an early age.

"It's also why I'm such an advocate for Mammoth, as sleeping on a Mammoth mattress has made such a difference to my sleep. I used to wake up with a stiff back in the morning, but I don't have any problems any more. My mattress keeps me supported and eases any aches and pains, so I feel recovered and raring to go for training and games. I'd highly recommend Mammoth to anyone and champion better sleep for everyone."

Honiton Rugby Club President, David 'Stopper' Todd, said: "We are grateful to Ollie for taking the time out of his day to meet with two of our juniors, Edie and Josh, who were overjoyed to have the chance to speak to one of their idols.

"Ollie is an inspiration to everyone at Honiton Rugby Club and I'm sure the signed Exeter Chiefs rugby balls will be snapped up in our upcoming silent auction. Thanks to Mammoth and Peter Betteridge for inviting us along and for raising awareness of the importance of sleep for players of all ages."

Ollie has slept on a Mammoth mattress since 2014 after learning about the company through its partnership with the Rugby Players' Association (RPA).

Stuart Page represented Mammoth on the day and said: "Mammoth's pedigree in elite sport over the past decade makes it the go-to provider for sportspeople. We appreciate Ollie coming along to the Peter Betteridge store to showcase the new Mammoth studio area and highlight how everybody can gain from the quality sleep that comes from having the right sleep surface.

"We're proud to be working with retailers across the country to support them after a difficult year and continue to show the value to consumers of investing in the best sleep and comfort technologies."

Mammoth mattresses have been sold in Peter Betteridge for two years. The Rise®, Shine® and Move™ mattress collection, comes with naturally-cooling Medical Grade™ foam and Posture Cell® technologies, which are scientifically tested and shown to improve sleep.

David Fletcher, Store Manager at Peter Betteridge store, added: "It was a special day for us to welcome one of our local heroes to the store and so inspiring for the youngsters who attended on the day. Thank you to Mammoth for arranging the visit and of course to Ollie for his support."

For more information, visit the Mammoth Comfort website, and find Mammoth on Facebook www.facebook.com/mammothmattress and Twitter @mammothmattress.