Former England captain Phil de Glanville showed he’s also more than handy with a set of golf clubs as he beat a list of star names from the rugby world to be crowned the winner of the inaugural QBE La Manga Club Golf Classic at the Spanish resort this month.

de Glanville was always in contention for first prize in the 54-hole Stableford charity event sponsored by QBE, which was organised in aid of the Help for Heroes charity by Rugby’s Golf Club and played on La Manga Club’s renowned South and North courses.

Going into the final 18 holes, the ex-Bath centre held a two-point advantage over former Wales scrum half Gareth Cooper with Mark Regan and Rhys Williams one point further back.

Regan emerged as his nearest challenger as Cooper’s bid for glory evaporated but de Glanville held his nerve to match his former club and international teammate’s last round score of 35 points to claim the title with 100 points, three clear of Regan with Cooper and Jamie Salmon tied for third.

Ex-England World Cup winner Jason Leonard and ex-Wales stars Tom Shanklin, Jeremy Pugh, Gavin Thomas, Gareth Cooper and Mike Roberts were also among the rugby celebrities who took to the fairways, helping to raise in the region of £20,000 for Help for Heroes.

Each day of the competition saw the stars play with a different group of three golfers who were competing for a team prize. This year’s victors were The London Irish team – John Hanaford, Adrian Butler and Peter Haran – who finished seven points clear of their nearest rivals in the 19-strong field.

Leonard, president of the Rugby Golf Club, said: “The highlight of the trip for me was playing a round of golf with some of our injured serviceman and I was so impressed with their humility and their positive outlook on life even with their disabilities.

“We had a great group of people raising much needed funds for our injured heroes who have done their duty for us.

“Now it's time for us to do our duty for them and I look forward to seeing everyone again at the fantastic La Manga Club complex next year for an event that will be even bigger and better.”

de Glanville added: “What a fantastic event at a superb venue, raising huge funds for such a worthy cause. This was my first time of the trip but I sincerely hope that I will be invited back for more.”

The QBE La Manga Club Golf Classic is just one of a host of prestigious events held on La Manga Club’s three 18-hole championship golf courses and entries are already being invited for next year’s competition, which will take place at the resort from May 15-19, 2013.

For further information, please visit www.helpforheroeslamanga.co.uk or email info@helpforheroeslamanga.co.uk  or call 0795 781 6283 or 0117 968 1745.