Rugby romance

Read it to believe it! Wales Online reports that mushy romance novels Mills & Boon will now feature an entire series of books featuring rugby players as the heroes. With titles like The French Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress, At The Argentinian Billionaire’s Bidding, and The Italian Count’s Defiant Bride, these rugby romance novels are targeted at Welsh women who make up 20% of the crowds at Guinness Premiership matches, according to a survey conducted by Premier Rugby Limited.

The Italian Count’s Defiant Bride in fact features a Welsh heroine and takes place in Cardiff and Italy. In another romance novel, The Prince’s Waitress Wife, has the heroine losing her virginity in the President’s Suite at the start of the England v Wales Six Nations match at Twickenham!

Clare Somerville, sales and marketing director for Mills & Boon said: "The series features great rugby moments and brooding alpha-male sporting heroes, offering all the passion, romance and glamour expected from Mills & Boon, plus a little added ruck and maul.Rugby has always been a game enjoyed by women and in Wales the crowds always feature a lot of female fans waving their flags and roaring their men on."

And speaking of passionate Welsh girls, muscular rugby players, and romance....



Welsh singer and TV presenter Charlotte Church, winner of the best bottom (rear of the year) award in 2002 (when she was only 16), has given birth to her second child with boyfriend Gavin Henson, a Welsh International Rugby Union player. 22-year old Charlotte gave birth at the couple's farmhouse home in the Vale of Glamorgan. The unnamed baby comes just 15 months after Ruby Megan Henson was born in September 2007.

Charlotte Church has said that she wanted at least six children. "I want all my babies by the time I'm 32 so then I can have everything done." Rugby player Gavin Henson - who plays for Ospreys and Wales - wants to produce eight from his loins!