IT'S THE talk of the scrum, the gossip on the goal line - the rugby lads have got themselves a new sponsor.

But somehow the new name doesn't quite fit with the image of the sport, because the sponsor is a cosmetic surgery firm.

From now on when the lads of the under-15s squad at Nelson and Colne Rugby Union Club talk about needing a lift during a tough game, will they be talking about their game or their faces? Sue Duerden runs Red Rose Cosmetic Surgery, whose name now proudly sits alongside the club's emblem on the lads' shirts

She does not think there will be a clash of cultures on the field. "Cosmetic surgery is open to everyone these days, even rugby players," said Sue, of Barnfield Close, Colne.

"I know of rugby players who want their looks improving. It's not just for ladies."

Sue, whose 14-year-old son Edward plays for the squad, has paid £350 to sponsor the shirts for the season.

"It's a low-key thing really and I don't expect any direct gain from it. I can't see some dads standing on the touchline thinking they could do with some cosmetic surgery. But it helps the team and it does give me some publicity."

The Preston-based business gives advice and arranges cosmetic surgery for clients.

With rugby players generally not well-known for their stunning looks perhaps it's not such a strange tie-up after all.

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