Scotland international Geoff Cross has completed his year-long beard-growing fund-raiser after it was shaved off at London Irish’s training ground.
Cross agreed to remove his beard - one of the most, if not the most famous in the sport - completely to support the fundraising efforts of his former Edinburgh Rugby team-mate, John Houston, who is seeking £50,000 to compete in the Wooden Spoon Arctic Rugby Challenge.
The London Irish prop created a lot of interest during the Six Nations championship with the beard and has raised £10,000 for rugby's children's charity Wooden Spoon - dedicated to transforming the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the British Isles through rugby.
Setting off on April 15, the challenge aims to set a world record for the most northerly rugby match in history after a trek of 100 miles to the magnetic North Pole.
When asked if he did indeed have the greatest beard in rugby, Cross said: "It's really not my place to say but I'm very proud of it. But my wife is really pleased it's going...it has been a long-suffering year for my long-suffering wife."
Cross told Sky Sports News HQ that his new ‘fresh’ look could surprise opponents.
"That could be one advantage," he said. "We’ve got a big game against Edinburgh in the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup, so we’re taking every advantage we can get. We’re preparing well for that.
The guys are looking to the challenge of that game at the Madejski and we really appreciate the home advantage that we’ve got and we are looking to take advantage of it. It’s a really important game for us and we are training well to prepare for it."