HE was a flying full-back in his playing days for likes of Newbridge, Pontypool and Ebbw Vale but it’s safe to say flying through the sky didn’t exactly sit comfortable with former Wales rugby international Byron Hayward.

A fortnight ago the current Wales U20 head coach decided to spend his Sunday off hurling himself out of a plane at 14,000 feet.

It was part one of the Blaina born two-cap international’s 3/3 Challenge For Life, raising money and awareness for charity OcuMel UK. Mr Hayward was diagnosed with a malignant form of ocular melanoma, a type of eye cancer, in January this year after his optician at Specsavers in Ebbw Vale spotted something was wrong during a routine eye test.

He is now in recovery and will have another check-up in November on his progress but was determined to give something back to both to the charity, and to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital which treated him. He has already raised more than £5,500 of his £10,000 target and that is before he tackles part three of his challenge this weekend as he runs the Cardiff Half Marathon.

“I don’ think it will be something I will be doing again. I wouldn’t do it for pleasure that’s for sure!” he laughs of the skydive. After the Lancashire plunge, round two took him to Snowdon last weekend where he ran up the mountain in one hour and 14 minutes.

Bucket collections have been held at rugby clubs at Cross Keys, Ebbw Vale, Blaina and Abertillery, and a fundraising event at Nantyglo which raised £1,700 are just some of those to have taken place.