After a turbulent start to 2010, the London Welsh squad decided to step away from the rugby pitch and have a team-bonding day at Lingfield Park racecourse on Monday.

The event was organised by GroupClean, the Premium Cleaning Services Company that sponsors the Old Deer Park outfit.

It was not all fun and games however, as GroupClean, who holds the Lingfield Park cleaning contract, took full advantage of the extra pairs of hands and put the boys to work, picking up litter in the betting circle.

London Welsh head coach Danny Wilson said: “We were meant to come to a race day back in early January but the snow put paid to that, which was a shame.

"Having said that, the boys have had a tough couple of weeks off the field, so now is a good time for us to take a day out and have a bit of fun as a group.

"That’s not to say they won’t be working hard though - when GroupClean asked if the boys would volunteer for some cleaning up, I thought it would be great for team discipline!”

GroupClean Director Ian Pugh said: “As sponsors and fans, it’s really important to offer our support to the club during this time.

"There are clearly some well-documented issues that are being worked through at London Welsh, but the squad hasn’t let it affect its performance, with some exceptional wins in recent weeks.

"It’s great to have the boys here at Lingfield Park today: it’s been a great day out and I hope that the squad has enjoyed it.”