Wales' Leigh Halfpenny races a horse as part of the WRU's latest marketing campaign © WRU

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Players/Officials: Leigh Halfpenny | Dan Lydiate | George North | Rhys Priestland

Teams: Wales

Pictures: Wales' Leigh Halfpenny races a horse as part of a TV campaign

Wales' Leigh Halfpenny has warmed up for his side's testing autumn campaign by racing a horse across a beach.

The eye-catching image is taken from a series of four adverts produced by the Welsh Rugby Union to promote their clashes with Argentina, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia later this year. Also coming to a TV screen near you is Wales wing George North carrying tree trunks while running through a forest while his team-mates Rhys Priestland and Dan Lydiate will also feature.

Wales boss Warren Gatland has become notorious for imposing a brutal training regime on his Six Nations Grand Slam winning players and that is the theme of the ad campaign.

Halfpenny shot his item on a beach in Rest Bay, Porthcawl and was asked to race a galloping horse as the film director pits man against beast to symbolise the physical conditioning required for a modern athlete to compete at the very highest level. North journeyed to a Caerphilly mountainside (Coed-y-Wenault) where he is depicted carrying tree trunks across the forest laden landscape.

"We are the reigning Six Nations Champions and all four of the teams visiting Wales this Autumn will be looking to knock us off our perch," said Welsh Rugby Union Commercial Head, Craig Maxwell. "This campaign is all about showing just how hard the players have worked to get where they are and reminding the fans that the players need them now as much as they have ever done."

"The coaches will prepare this Wales team as well as ever, with another gruelling trip to Poland already planned before that first match against the Pumas. We are sure everyone is excited in seeing Samoa, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia at the Millennium Stadium and are ready and willing to get behind Wales again for a new season of international rugby.

"This marketing campaign aims to show the players in a way no fans have seem them before, preparing for the autumn in their own unique ways using the amazing countryside of Wales as a backdrop. We hope the images will inspire fans to support the team across the four matches."

The strapline for the campaign is 'Our Land, Our Way' and is designed to inspire the whole of Wales to get behind its national side. The TV adverts can be viewed by clicking here.