A SEVEN year old girl from West Cumbria will cut her hair off to raise funds for her beloved rugby club.

Autumn Hartley, from Thornhill near Egremont will cut her hair off this Sunday, May 5 in order to raise funds for the Egremont Rangers RLFC Under 7's team youth fund, which supports her and her team mates in funding equipment and trips for the team.

Autumn's mum Claire Hartley said: "It started with her rugby group putting in idea's of how they could raise money for their youth team to get equipment and trips away, and Autumn said 'well I wonder if I got my hair cut would people sponsor me?' it just went from there. It's turned into a big fundraising day now."

Autumn is getting between six and seven inches cut off to just below her ear, with a fundraising day being held in her honour at the Egremont Rangers club from 12:30pm on Sunday, May 5.

Speaking about the challenge, Claire said: "She thinks it's great, she thinks I am going to raise all this money getting my hair cut and get to help my team, she's really excited about it.

"She absolutely loves rugby, she absolutely loves playing rugby. She lives for her rugby, Autumn has been playing since she was five, she likes to get hands on and tackle, and for a little girl she is really good, she gets stuck right in."

The challenge has seen much support from people at the club with Autumns dad also shaving his head, after he made a promise he would if the seven year old raised more than £1000, something she has already achieved.

Claire said: "Her coach has sent her a message to say how proud he was of her and how amazing it is and to keep doing what she is doing, and all the parents have got on board, everybody thinks it's pretty good."

To find out more about Autumn's challenge or make a donation you can click here.