Former England Rugby Star Phil Vickery Takes to the Bodybuilding Stage

Phil Vickery, a former rugby player, has been backstage at the Physical Culture Show in Hull as a bodybuilder. According to BBC Sport, he began entering bodybuilding competitions at the age of 50.

Vickery's friend Lee Powell challenged him to enter bodybuilding. His physical trainer is Dave Campbell, and Vickery now trains three or four times a week with weight sessions. His training also includes daily walks and a protein-rich diet.

Before bodybuilding, Vickery was a prop, a player in the front row of a rugby team. He played for Gloucester and Wasps, and he won 73 caps for England, which means he was picked to play for his country 73 times. He also won five more caps for the British and Irish Lions.

Vickery was part of the England team that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. He has also won Celebrity MasterChef, a cooking television contest.

His playing weight ranged between 118kg and 135kg. On stage in Hull he weighed about 99kg.

Vickery posed to the World Cup anthem "World in Union" during his routine.

Vickery has received a diagnosis of probable CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain condition linked to repeated head knocks). He is part of a continuing litigation battle over that diagnosis.

Vickery says he is not comfortable being labelled an influencer. He hopes more bodybuilding shows will follow.