DEVONPORT Services may have been frustrated that the season came to an end early but with no rugby to occupy them they have turned their attention to raising money for the NHS.

The club, whose men’s and women’s teams were both pushing for promotion, have raised more than £1,000 in 24 hours, with their players agreeing to shave their hair off for a donation to the NHS Charities Together fund.

“Our vice-captain Sam Bennett set up a JustGiving page and basically for every £10 somebody donated another player would shave their hair off,” said player-coach Richard West.

“We raised more than £1,000 in 24 hours and about 20 or 30 of us have shaved our air off.”

People have been donating more than £10 and the players prove they have done it by posting a selfie on the club’s social media.

“A few lads were a bit reluctant but we are hunting them down and they will get it done,” laughed West.

“It is pretty cool to raise more than a £1,000 in 24 hours and we are now up to £1,600.

“I think we are now going to nominate another rugby club to carry the link on.”

The club hope more people will help support the NHS by donating via their JustGiving page HERE.

Meanwhile, Services, like the rest of the country’s rugby clubs, are still unsure what is going to happen in terms of the leagues this season.

Most clubs only had four or five games to go when the season was abandoned.

Services’ men’s first team were pushing for promotion to the South West Premier.

They had been in the top three of South West One (West) all season. When the campaign was ended they were in third spot but had games in hand on Hornets and Lydney above them.

“All the lads are pretty gutted, but it is what it is,” said West. “It is annoying, but what can you do. We just have to hope this (coronavirus pandemic) passes and we can go again next season.

“We are still not really sure what is going to happen in terms of the leagues. I imagine it might just stay the same and we go again.

“However, they were apparently planning to restructure the leagues next year, but if ever there was a time to just do it then it’s now as otherwise next season becomes a little bit void as well.”