Back in the days when rugby was more associated with post-match booze-ups and flying Welsh out-halves, legend has it that in some scrums, players may deploy the ‘tactic’ of painfully tugging at an opponent’s armpit hair. Well, that’s unlikely to happen these days — and for more reasons than one. Ireland and Munster star Conor Murray has become the first male laser hair removal ambassador thanks to his collaboration with Thérapie Clinic.

It comes as the company says its male laser hair removal customer base has grown by 80% since 2022. According to the Munster man: “With training and matches, not to mention a baby on the way, I have less time for grooming. I have been shaving my shoulders, upper arms and upper back for years and have to do it frequently, and to be honest it’s a pain.

Laser hair removal is the perfect solution for me. After a few short sessions, I won’t have to think about shaving ever again, which frees up time. Not to mention, the results are just better.

” Michelle Willis, Sligo Therapie assistant manager, explains: “As the decades pass, the trends are changing. In the ’70s, it may have been very fashionable to have hairy stomach and chest hair, but these days, people are going for more of an aesthetic look, a more lean appearance.” So what’s driving the move towards manscaping, where follicles anywhere can be lasered, alongside waxing and trimming, to create a more chrome-plated body? For Stephen Thomas, who operates his Male Groo.