A group of England rugby players have shaved their heads as part of an online charity campaign.

Henry Slade, Ellis Genge and Luke Cowan-Dickie joined the "Covhead challenge" to raise funds for the NHS during the coronavirus outbreak.

The campaign, started by William Bull, has raised more than £1,000 in the first 24 hours since its launch.

Mr Bull, from West Oxfordshire, said the growth of the challenge had been "absolutely crazy".

The 23-year-old said he decided to start the challenge because he had "wanted to shave my own head for while" but had never done it due to school or work commitments.

He said the government's latest social distancing guidelines gave him the "chance" to shave his head, and he decided to set up an Instagram account for the charities which support the NHS.

"I kind of wanted to show a little bit of appreciation to everyone working in the NHS," he said.

Mr Bull said the campaign was "really fortunate to get three England rugby players on board" and said it was important to "raise awareness for people working in the NHS".

"With everyone stuck inside, everyone can do it. It is simply to get people making the most of a bad situation," he said.