Cardiff Blues U16s North recently gave their time to help Operation Christmas Child at their Llantrisant base.
The Blues have been involved with the project for seven years, donating and packing a shoe box filled with presents for children in poverty stricken areas.
Almost 17,000 boxes have been donated from around the Cardiff area and during the evening the Blues North squad checked and packed more than 1,000 boxes.
The presents were sent to children in Albania and in total it is estimated that Cardiff Blues players have helped send out 85,000 boxes.
Cardiff Blues chaplain Martin Lewis, said: “It was great to take Billy Vivian's Blues U16s North side to undertake another superb evening helping out Operation Christmas Child (OCC), where 33 lads and their parents plus coaches worked hard to make the night a real success.
“The squad brought their shoeboxes to add to the mountain of boxes already kindly donated, nearly 17,000 boxes from around Cardiff.
“It's amazing what you can pack into a shoebox when thoughtfully done and the lads were surprised at the general quality of gifts given; small toys, colouring books and pencils, hat and glove sets etc etc.
“This year it was also great that 20 from Glamorgan Cricket Club joined us; players, coaches, academy players and volunteers.
“That night a lorry arrived and the lads’ energy and enthusiasm meant it was packed with about 11,000 shoe boxes for the driver to be on his way with the load that was bound for needy children in Albania.
“My prayer is that our lads realise both how fortunate they are and yet be able to appreciate the needs of others and just how much difference they can help make.
“The Christmas story itself reminds us of a God who loves all of mankind and sent us the greatest gift the world has ever seen in Jesus. May it be that this Christmas we get equally as excited by this as the children do when receiving their Christmas shoebox.”
OCC has been in action for almost 25 years in the UK and has distributed close to 125million present-packed shoeboxes around the world.
For more information, please visit: https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child