James Haskell's latest colourful stunt is trying to get a Christmas No1 with Rig Aid

Retired England international James Haskell has unveiled his latest colourful post-career project, the celebrity supergroup Rig Aid who have produced a Christmas song featuring a stellar cast of 20 people that includes rugby luminaries such as Danny Care, Jim Hamilton and Vicky Fleetwood along with former Test cricket great Darren Gough.  

It’s Christmas Time (It’s Time to Lash) - which will be officially released on December 18 and costs 99p - is seeking to raise much-needed funds for the sports charity, Restart Rugby.

“Restart Rugby is a charity incredibly close to my heart that helps both male and female players physically and also mentally," explained Haskell, the former England back row who retired from playing in 2019.

"They have stopped people from committing suicide thanks to their anonymous helpline. They literally save lives. It costs around £70,000 alone just to run the mental health offering and they are about to run out of money.

“I’d be lying if I thought I would ever be singing on a track, let alone going for Christmas No1. I must hand it to the lads, it’s an incredibly catchy and entertaining song and I truly believe we have got a great shot at reaching Christmas No1.

"Please can everyone get behind this hilarious track and support this incredible charity. It’s only 99p, so please buy it as many times as possible to raise invaluable funds so that Restart Rugby can continue to carry out their life-changing work daily.”

Rig Aid's first single - produced by Ross O’Reilly who has worked with the likes of One Direction, Freya Ridings and Carrie Underwood - sees professional sports players, pundits and fans alike join forces with Instagram celebrity Archie Curzon. The video sees Gough donning a long wig and Haskell a novelty Christmas suit while also featuring the likes of Hollywood actor Jeremy Irvine.

• Watch the video and hear the track (click here)