A group of former North East rugby players have traded their muddy boots for miniskirts, swimsuits and Spice Girls outfits in a lighthearted fundraising campaign supporting motor neurone disease charities.
The former Ryton Rugby Club players have teamed up with Newcastle photographer Joe Costigan to create a humorous 2027 charity calendar, recreating 12 iconic images of women with plenty of personality, laughter and community spirit, all for a good cause.
And while the finished photographs might raise a few eyebrows, there's a serious reason behind the laughter.
The project was inspired by David Knowles, a member of the rugby club who has motor neuron disease (MND), a devastating condition affecting the nerves that control movement.
Originally, the players had planned to produce a traditional fund raising naked rugby calendar, but when Joe was approached to take the photographs, he had other ideas.
"I thought the nude calendar had been done to death, really," said Joe. "It's a format that's been around for years, so I suggested we try something a bit different.
"The idea was to recreate famous images of women, but with the rugby lads taking their places. Thankfully, they were all good sports and agreed to give it a go."
The results include the Spice Girls, Pamela Anderson in her famous Baywatch swimsuit and the unforgettable 1970s Athena tennis girl poster, featuring a young woman in a short white tennis dress.
For anyone who remembers the poster hanging on bedroom walls across Britain, the rugby club's version is likely to bring back memories although perhaps not quite in the same way.
"One of the lads volunteered for the tennis picture, so we found him a little tennis dress, an old racket and some tennis balls," explained Joe.
"We found a reasonably secluded tennis court and the actual photograph took about ten minutes. There had been weeks of planning and preparation beforehand, though, and I think he'd spent quite a bit of time psyching himself up.
"When he saw the finished photographs, his first reaction was, 'Why on earth did I agree to do this one?'"
Another player, Duncan, bravely took on the role of Pamela Anderson, squeezing himself into a red Baywatch-style swimsuit.
"Poor Duncan had quite a lot of tape holding bits of his anatomy in places they weren't normally accustomed to being," laughed Joe.
"He did a brilliant job, though. We even got him running along the beach, Baywatch-style, and I've got the video to prove it!"
Other photographs include a recreation of the Spice Girls, complete with the camaraderie of the original girl group, and a black-and-white tribute to the famous Christine Keeler chair photograph. The iconic Marilyn Monroe is also featured.
Joe, who has worked on a wide variety of photographic projects, admits the calendar presented some unusual creative challenges.
"The Christine Keeler photograph was particularly enjoyable from a photographer's point of view because of the lighting and trying to recreate the original image as closely as possible.
"But I also love the Spice Girls photograph. It really captures the spirit of the lads and the fun they had doing it.
"Everyone involved has been absolutely brilliant. They've put themselves in some pretty ridiculous situations, but it's all for a cause that means a great deal to the club."
The calendar, which features 12 recreations of famous female images has a run of 500 copies with the production costs covered by sponsors, meaning the money raised through calendar sales can go directly towards the charitable causes.
Each calendar costs £12 if collected or delivered personally, with an additional £5 for postage and packaging.
Joe hopes the unusual fundraising idea will capture the public's imagination well beyond the rugby club.
"We've printed 500, and ideally we'd love to sell every single one. Who knows, perhaps it'll go viral and we'll have people wanting them from all over the world!
"At the end of the day, it's about raising money and awareness for motor neuron disease. If people have a good laugh at the photographs along the way, that's a bonus."
To order a Calendar priced £12 plus £5 postage if required, email poshcalendar27@outlook.com.
All proceeds will go to MND Association and My Name’s Doddie Foundation
