LEGENDS of Welsh rugby and football joined forces to help raise money for St Davids’ new lifeboat station on Monday afternoon.

Gerald Davies and Ian Walsh were at St Justinians to officially launch the RNLI’s community fundraising appeal which seeks to raise £150,000 towards the cost of the new station and slipway.

The sporting stars were also able to see first-hand the progress that is being made on site by the contractors BAM Nuttall.

Once complete the boathouse will be home to the Tamar class lifeboat and the smaller D-class inshore lifeboat. It will have modern facilities including a drying room for kit and better provision for crew training and equipment maintenance.

Gerald said: “The lifeboat station is central to St Davids and there’s a great tradition of sea-worthiness here.

“It has been down here for over 100 years and I think it’s very important that it should be retained at the same site.”

“The RNLI is an extraordinary institution with all its funding coming from the public.”

He added: “We’re standing here on what’s a beautiful day, but it’s not like this all the time, it can be very treacherous out there and the work that the volunteer crew do is brilliant.”

Ian said: “I was really honoured to be asked to be part of this appeal. I’m born and bred in St Davids and spent the first 14 of my life here before going to play football for Crystal Palace.

"For me, today is about supporting the men and women who go out on the lifeboat, as they’re risking their lives to support Pembrokeshire’s coastline.

“It’s important that we make them as safe as possible when they go out to save people’s lives.”

To find out more about the appeal and how to donate visit RNLI.org/StDavidsAppeal