CANVEY Island Rugby Club have launched a ‘hakas and haircuts’ fundraising scheme to help the NHS.

Members of the club have been shaving heads, beards and waxing their legs while others have been performing the Haka, a pre-match dance made famous by the All Blacks.

And the club have already raised more than £2,400 for their efforts.

The Islanders’ Jon Campion said: “Our director of rugby Alex Breading had the idea of trying to find a way for the club and its members being able to say thank you.

“As always our amazing club members, spread across juniors, seniors and their families, have given generously and created hilarious photos and videos to support this great cause.

“Already we have had members doing the Haka, shaving heads, shaving beards, waxing legs and backs, anything to find a way to help support the fundraising.

“We are really lucky as a club to have such generous members, and they show what can be achieved in such a short amount of time to support our amazing NHS.

“Our members have already managed to raise over £2,400 in the first nine hours and I’m sure this will just continue to increase.”

The NHS are currently helping the country fight the coronavirus pandemic.

But they have also helped many rugby players throughout the years.

“As rugby players we’ve all needed the NHS at some point and now more than ever the whole community is indebted to the amazing sacrifice they are all making on a daily basis,” said Campion.

“Therefore, it’s just great for us a club to be able to do something, however small, to just say thank you and ensure the NHS staff and volunteers know how appreciated their work is.

“I feel rugby always has a great community spirit and so now more than ever is not the time for people or clubs to be thinking of themselves.

“This is a time to be looking outside to the wider community and see what they can do to help, however small, to help keep people positive and provide a channel to come together and say thank you to our NHS.”

Canvey’s fundraising efforts can be supported here.