CROSSKEYS RFC has introduced a new addition to their team.

A smaller version of their famous, Pandy’s Park Panda, has recently joined the Gwent rugby squad and is being sold to raise money for the team.

Following on from the club’s decision last season to have their own mascot, members chose to create a smaller version that fans could take home with them.

Assistant secretary and director of marketing at Crosskeys RFC, Angie Prangell said: “Last season we decided to have a club mascot and because our home ground is called Pandy Park we decided on a Panda.

“The idea came about after wanting to create a souvenir for the club that we could sell to raise money to put back into it and use for things like the junior teams. It’s really just to create some more merchandise for the club.”

“We have just started stocking them and they are going to be sold in the clubhouse and will be on sale at our home games.”

In 2013, the new life-size panda mascot journeyed to schools to encourage local children to join the Panda Club and give them the opportunity to name him. Mrs Prangell said: “We still haven’t got a proper name for the mascot! We just began calling him Pandy the Panda and it’s stayed.”

The new souvenir sized teddy-bear, which is dressed in a t-shirt branding the Crosskeys emblem, was manufactured at the Magic Kingdom in Aberbeeg, a company which creates promotional soft toys. It can be purchased for £10.