ROYALTY rubbed shoulders with singers, actors and sports stars this weekend as the Celebrity Cup returned to Newport's Celtic Manor Resort for the second time.

Despite the odd shower of rain yesterday, thousands once again lined up to watch the continuation of the golfing action by the Welsh team - who came third overall - captained by comedian Rob Brydon, TV presenter Gethin Jones, actor Philip Glenister, radio presenter Geraint Hardy, actor Andrew Howard and rugby legend Gareth Edwards.

This year, the winning England team included actor Bradley Walsh, swimmer Mark Foster, Dragon's Den star Peter Jones, cricketer Graeme Swann, actor Matthew Goode and was led by rugby player and captain Mike Tindall, who arrived with wife Zara Phillips and six-month-old baby Mia, a day after they attended the Barbury Horse Trials.

The Irish team featured pop stars Ronan Keating, captain Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden, stars of television series Mrs Brown's Boys Brendan O’Carroll and Danny O’Carroll, and national football team manager Martin O'Neill.

For runners-up Scotland there were five rugby stars in Kenny Logan, Bryan Redpath, Stuart Hogg, captain Gavin Hastings and Rory Lawson, along with actor Dougray Scott.

Yesterday, as the third round got underway, Brendan O'Carroll joked with the crowd at the first tee referring to his popular TV character Mrs Brown, by shouting: "Come on mammy!"

The celebs, many of whom admitted to having only caught a few hours' sleep the previous night, dodged rain showers as they made their way around nine holes, with Scotland and England neck and neck for much of the contest, followed by third placed Wales and Ireland who came fourth in the third/fourth playoff.

There was plenty of camaraderie between the stars in the morning session, as Gethin Jones and Rory Lawson paused for a hug, and Philip Glenister put his arm round Gavin Hastings shortly before they finished their final shots before lunch.

When Glenister and Edwards narrowly lost a match to Scotland shortly after noon, Edwards told the crowd: "We'll be cheering on Woosy and all those guys in the coming weeks but it's our day today and you (Philip Glenister) really represented Wales."

Glenister replied: "I was inspired, I was playing with a legend."

Supporting the action on the green again yesterday was former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher OBE, who has set up a defibrillator campaign aiming to give golfers across the country access to equipment that saved his life after a near fatal cardiac arrest.

The campaign "Play Golf Save Lives" is one of this year's sponsored charities along with the Caron Keating Foundation, set up in 2004 by television personality Gloria Hunniford in memory of her daughter Caron and in support of people living with cancer.