England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Phil Vickery has undergone a remarkable body transformation, and his former teammates can hardly believe their eyes.<\/p>\n
The legendary prop, now 50, has swapped scrums for bodybuilding, showing off an incredible physique after competing in a recent competition.<\/p>\n
Vickery shared pictures from the event on social media, looking absolutely shredded as he posed on stage.<\/p>\n
And judging by the reaction, all those hours in the gym have certainly paid off.<\/p>\n
World Cup winners react<\/p>\n
The former England tighthead, affectionately known as ‘The Raging Bull’, revealed he had taken part in a competition organised by the Physical Culture Association.<\/p>\n
Writing on social media, Vickery explained that he had finally recovered enough from the event to share some pictures of his efforts.<\/p>\n
His extraordinary transformation quickly caught the attention of several familiar faces from the rugby world.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson, who lifted the Webb Ellis Cup alongside Vickery in 2003<\/a>, was particularly impressed.<\/p>\n “Bloody hell mate. No wonder that was so tough. Fair play you colossus….\ud83d\ude4c”<\/p>\n Fellow World Cup winner Lewis Moody<\/a> responded with a heart emoji, while James Haskell<\/a> added four fire emojis.<\/p>\n Former rugby player Sam Wolffenden also joined the congratulations, writing: “Well done mate smashed it come in sharp \ud83d\udc4f”<\/p>\n Dodge Woodall was equally impressed, commenting: “Massive respect on many levels \ud83d\udc4d\ud83c\udffc\u2692\ufe0f”<\/p>\n From World Cup winner to bodybuilder<\/p>\n Vickery was one of England’s most formidable forwards during a glittering career that included 73 international caps.<\/p>\n He was part of Sir Clive Woodward’s legendary squad that beat Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final<\/a> in Sydney.<\/p>\n Four years later, he captained England during their remarkable run to another World Cup final in France.<\/p>\n At club level, he represented Gloucester and Wasps, earning a reputation as one of the toughest tightheads in the game.<\/p>\n He eventually retired in 2010 after a series of neck injuries.<\/p>\n Bodybuilding is nothing new for Vickery, who previously shed around six stone<\/a> after deciding to overhaul his fitness.<\/p>\n The former British & Irish Lions star even secured a third-place finish at the 2024 UK Ultimate Physiques British Open Championships.<\/p>\n More than two decades after England’s greatest rugby triumph, Vickery is proving there’s still plenty of life in the Raging Bull.<\/p>\n And judging by those pictures, you probably wouldn’t fancy packing down against him now, either.<\/p>\n READ MORE: 2003 Rugby World Cup Team of the Tournament: Where are they now?<\/a>