For Immediate Release

Cardiff Blues and Welsh international rugby player Jamie Roberts won £16,900 for the tobacco control campaigning charity ASH Wales last night.

Jamie took part in a special edition of the BBC’s Weakest Link programme which saw rugby players from the Welsh, English, French, Irish and All Blacks teams take on their biggest challenge yet – facing the BBC presenter Anne Robinson, noted for her sharp wit and acidic tongue.

Jamie was pitted against Lee Mears in the final aired on BBC1 on Saturday 29th May.

Anne Robinson who is famous for issuing the phrase “you are the weakest link – goodbye!” and reducing contestants on her show to shivering jellies described Jamie as “tall and pretty”.

Winning the Weakest Link programme adds to a great success on the field for Jamie following his try which helped the Cardiff Blues secure an historic win against Toulon to win the Amlin Cup last week.

Jamie, who is studying medicine at Cardiff University, said: “Facing Anne Robinson was one of the most frightening moments of my career, far more frightening than facing some of the world’s toughest rugby players. I was surprised to get through to the final but delighted to win the money to help the youth programme at the ASH Wales charity.”

Tanya Buchanan, Chief Executive of ASH Wales, commented: “Jamie has been a great ambassador for ASH Wales and continues to be so. We are delighted that he has chosen to donate the money to ASH Wales. The money will be put to good use, helping ASH Wales to develop its peer health promoters’ youth programme. Peer health promoters are trained to work with young people in their local communities, providing the facts about smoking and assisting them to quit.”

Notes to Editors

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Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Wales is the only voluntary organisation in Wales with the sole task of tackling the ill health caused by tobacco use. Our main aim is to achieve a reduction in, and eventual elimination of, the health problems associated with tobacco use. ASH Wales was established in 1976 as a branch of ASH UK. In 2007 ASH Wales became an independent company limited by guarantee and a charity registered in Wales.