Friday the 13th turns out to be lucky day as EuroMillions syndicate shares £3.6m

Friday the 13th turned out to be a lucky day for a band of 16 almost-strangers as they bagged a life-changing £3.6 million on EuroMillions.

The members of the West Is Best Syndicate, which is based in Bridgend, South Wales, will each get just over £212,000 following the win on Friday June 13.

The syndicate was formed by Rhian Owen, 44, with a handful of her work colleagues at Bridgend Council.

I still went to work because I didn’t know what else to do - but I ended up going home early as I was in a bit of a daze

Rhian Owen

The group was named after the location where she worked – the West Hub.

Despite leaving that job, the syndicate continued as Ms Owen posted on Facebook looking for new members.

That is when the group blossomed into an eclectic mix of people, including old friends, family members, and even her former rugby coach, although many have never met.

“My alarm went off on the Saturday morning and I checked my emails and saw I’d won a prize on The National Lottery – but I didn’t think much of it,” Ms Owen said.

“Then on the way to work, I stopped outside a shop as I had something in the back of my head nagging at me to check my account.

“When I logged in, I saw it said ‘claim your prize’ – and when I scrolled down and saw all the numbers matched, I was in complete shock.

“I immediately video-called my sister, who’s also in the syndicate, and we just couldn’t stop screaming.

“I still went to work because I didn’t know what else to do – but I ended up going home early as I was in a bit of a daze.”

A Facebook group chat between the winning members of the West Is Best lottery syndicate (Allwyn/PA)PA Media - Allwyn

The excited syndicate leader then revealed the life-changing news to the rest of the group via a Facebook group chat and received a steady stream of incredible and colourful reactions.

“I’m going to do up my house at last as it’s been on my list for years,” Ms Owen said.

“I’ve also booked a family holiday in October and we’re planning a bigger trip with all my sisters, brother and parents, it’s just incredible knowing we can do this together now.”

Other members of the syndicate are equally excited about their plans.

Wayne Jenkins, Ms Owen’s former rugby coach, is jetting off to Spain for a month and plans to gift money to his grown-up daughters.

Ex-colleague Nicola Butler found out about the win on the same day her husband left his job.

The money has now taken a lot of the stress away and they are now planning a much-needed family holiday.

Tracey Harry, Ms Owen’s sister, is buying a campervan, helping out her three children, and looking into dental procedures.

Some of the winning members of the West Is Best lottery syndicate (Allwyn/PA)PA Media - Allwyn

Jayne Owen, Ms Owen’s other sister, plays two lines and therefore walked away with double the winnings.

She has already bought a campervan and plans to get some dental work done, and said the win could not have come at a better time for her.

Jayne Davies, a close family friend, has battled with health problems and has used her winnings to fund a private knee replacement.

Liann Gregory, Ms Owen’s lifelong best friend, is giving money to her three adult children, making some home improvements, and buying a caravan for the whole family to enjoy.

Louise Fahey, another close friend, is taking a more measured approach as she is investing in a rental property for long-term financial security and will be helping out her children.

The syndicate’s win was even more remarkable because the EuroMillions jackpot had reached its cap of £208 million, meaning additional prize money from ticket sales rolled down into the next prize tier – significantly boosting their prize.

The estimated prize for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star in a draw without a rolldown is £130,554.30.

In contrast, the syndicate’s £3,613,997 win is roughly 27 times higher.

The West Is Best Syndicate came together for a big celebration at a local Bridgend pub, The Blaenogwr, where they were joined by family and friends.

For many of the syndicate members this was their first time meeting each other.

The West Is Best Syndicate plays 17 Lucky Dips on EuroMillions every Friday, with each member playing one line apart from Jayne Owen, who plays two.

Winnings from each draw were put towards tickets for the next draw as EuroMillions continued to roll over.

They matched five main numbers and one Lucky Star number in the EuroMillions draw on June 13 2025.

The winning numbers for the draw were 2, 28, 40, 43, 45 and the Lucky Star numbers were 3 and 7.