A GROUP of female Barry rugby players are hoping Christmas shoppers will make a note in their diary to buy a calendar surprise.

The charity calendar, now on sale, features eight members of the University of South Wales’s Women’s Rugby team, three of whom have played for the Barry rugby club-based Bombettes team.

Team manager and original South Wales Pirate Carys Rhiannon also known as Miss April, 23, first came up with the idea in 2012.

The calendar raised £700 for Dementia UK, Practical Action and Meningitis UK and this year the girls are hoping to more than double that score.

Carys said: “I’ve always been taught to work hard, study hard, fight for your dreams and to always strive to help others. I’ve been raising money for charities and volunteering for much of my life, stripping down for charity seemed like another day to day fundraiser to me. It’s great fun for a great cause.”

Carys hopes the calendar will aid them in their £3,000 target for The British Heart Foundation alone.

She added: “Our rugby girls are very charitable and try to give back to the local community as best they can. This year they’ve really engaged with our charity of the year The British Heart Foundation and we’ve a lot of plans to raise money for them."

Professional photographer Cristina Constantinescu volunteered to take the photographs and a number of local companies gave sponsorship to the making of the calendars.

Team captain and Barry Bombette Stacey Horne, also known as Miss June, said: “It was great fun and although the girls have only known each other for a short time, they were all willing to pitch in for such a great cause.

"Many of the girls have lost close relatives or friends to a heart condition which makes it even more meaningful.”

The girls chose The British Heart Foundation as their charity after discovering one of their old team mates had a close relative die from a heart condition and they have committed to delivering Heart Start courses across the South Wales region in the hope that more lives will be saved in future.

The calendars, costing £3, can be bought from the Barry Bombettes Rugby Club and USW Cardiff and Treforest Students’ Union shops.

Calendars can also be sent in the post for £5.

Contact supres@southwales.ac.uk