Rugby's calendar boys bare all to help teammate

The lads from Dodworth Rugby League Club, Barnsley, leapt into action after prop forward Mick Webb was forced to give up his job to help care for three-year- old daughter Ebonie, who is battling a potentially fatal brain tumour.

Knowing that Mick was struggling to pay the mortgage with no regular income, the team stripped off in a quiet corner of the training ground, and posed for a calendar shoot wearing nothing but their boots and socks.

Stunned Mick and wife, Leanne, only found out what was going on when team-mate Damien Blanchard phoned and asked for a photo of Ebonie to go on the front page of the finished product.

Almost 300 copies of the calendar have now been snapped up at 7 a time – with the proceeds going to support the family while Ebonie undergoes an intensive course of chemotherapy at Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Grateful builder Mick, 31, saluted his pals for lining up in the altogether, and said: "Nobody could ask for a better bunch of mates. I'd not said anything to the team about how bad things were financially, but they knew we were having a hard time of it with me and Leanne having to give up work, and they just set about hiring a photographer and putting the calendar together without letting on at all."

Copies of the calendar are available from 07961 453032.