{"id":32903,"date":"2026-10-29T21:08:32","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T21:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903"},"modified":"2026-10-29T21:08:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T21:08:32","slug":"inside-phil-vickerys-body-transformation-with-england-rugby-world-cup-winner-50-cutting-unrecognisable-new-physique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903","title":{"rendered":"Inside Phil Vickery&#8217;s body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-tab-panel=\"commentary\">\n<p>PHIL VICKERY has swapped mud-stained kits for tan-dyed trunks having left the rugby world for a bodybuilding adventure.<\/p>\n<p>This week, 16 years ago, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/sport\/40668856\/england-rugby-winner-phil-vickery-bodybuilding-instagram-post\/\" rel=\"\">the Rugby World Cup winner<\/a> announced his retirement from the sport he had known for his entire life.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844850\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>In 2010, Phil Vickery announced his retirement from rugby<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: PA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844882\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>The Rugby World Cup winner has traded it in for a bodybuilding adventure<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/philvickery3\/?hl=en\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/philvickery3\/?hl=en<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It was a tough call for Vickery, who was 34 at the time, having been plagued with injuries before another forced him to retire on medical advice.<\/p>\n<p>And now, the 50-year-old former England captain is battling a whole new challenge as he lives with the diagnosis of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/health\/17039835\/what-cte-meaning-symptoms-disease\/\" rel=\"\">probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)<\/a>, a brain condition associated with repeated head impacts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--thesun aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Sport\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the <span class=\"newsletter-name theme-sport\">Sport<\/span> newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThank you!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><iframe class=\"authenticated-iframe\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/30176317\/embed?auto=1\" style=\"--height: 300px; --mobile-height: 300px;\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" data-auto-resize=\"false\" data-manual-desktop=\"300\" data-manual-mobile=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>But to any member of the audience of Hull\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/topic\/bodybuilding\/\">bodybuilding<\/a> competition, Vickery was just another 99kg super tan muscleman.<\/p>\n<p>He revealed to <a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skysports.com\/rugby-union\/news\/13604546\/phil-vickery-england-world-cup-winner-on-his-bodybuilding-transformation-amid-life-changing-diagnosis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" data-nyp-affiliate=\"true\">Sky Sports<\/a> that he\u2019s \u201cnot really a bodybuilder\u201d, pointing to his \u201clong levers\u201d and \u201cmassive rib cage\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-readmore\">\n<div class=\"article-readmore__content-wrapper article-readmore__content-wrapper--multi\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"article-readmore__text-anchor-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/sport\/40832859\/rugby-star-greggs-scandal-marries-friends-ex\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-readmore__content\">\n<div class=\"article-readmore__content-img\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"240\" width=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/newspress-collage-ycw9m6l96-1793184237406.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;1793184355&amp;w=360&amp;h=240&amp;crop=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-readmore__text\">\n<div class=\"article-readmore__text-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-kicker\">HAPPY ENDING<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-headline\">Rugby ace caught in sex act with wife&#8217;s pal at Greggs weds ANOTHER friend&#8217;s ex<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"article-readmore__text-anchor-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/sun-bingo\/33772563\/join-sun-vegas-deposit-match-bonus-free-spins-new-player\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-readmore__content\">\n<div class=\"article-readmore__content-img\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"240\" width=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SC-100-deposit-1500x1000-170926.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=360&amp;h=240&amp;crop=1\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-readmore__text\">\n<div class=\"article-readmore__text-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-kicker\">Welcome player<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-readmore__text-headline\">Join Sun Vegas now and claim a 100% deposit match bonus and 100 free spins<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But it is not Vickery\u2019s dream to be the best of the best, he just wants to be the best version of himself.<\/p>\n<p>He told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/articles\/ckdd8re793zdo\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"BBC Sport (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" data-nyp-affiliate=\"true\">BBC Sport<\/a>: \u201cI know I will never be a top bodybuilder. But it doesn\u2019t stop me, it doesn\u2019t stop me having a go and being the best version of me that I can be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was not a simple path that Vickery walked to get to the stage \u2013 he needed to find a reason to train after retirement first.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Vickery, who was affectionately nicknamed \u2018The Raging Bull\u2019, played in all seven matches of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/sport\/24392075\/where-england-2003-rugby-team-are-now\/\" rel=\"\">England\u2019s victorious 2003 World Cup campaign<\/a> before captaining his country to the final four years later.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/betting\/32916258\/best-free-bets-sign-up-offers-uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844856\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Vickery played in all seven matches of England\u2019s victorious 2003 World Cup campaign<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But when his playing career ended, the purpose behind years of hard work faded.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cI think the one thing I really struggled with when I finished playing is I trained to play and I couldn\u2019t find that reason to train afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Sky Sports, Vickery added: \u201cIt [his transformation] began six or seven years ago when I was struggling.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was in just a really bad spot. I just looked at myself, and I thought, well, look at the state of you. Do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walking into Gloucester\u2019s Wolfpack gym, Vickery found the last piece of the puzzle.<\/p>\n<p>Initially, it was a hobby to get that bit fitter, but it eventually became a routine with steady preparation for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/topic\/bodybuilding\/\" rel=\"\">bodybuilding<\/a> competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But it was not love at first sight.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When his coach first suggested the idea, he said: \u201cMate, no way. There\u2019s no way I am getting on a stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844891\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>The ex-prop admitted that backstage at the bodybuilding competition reminded him of rugby<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844866\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Vickery lays claim to 73 England caps and five Lions Test caps<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Vickery, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/sport\/rugbyunion\/\" rel=\"\">73 England caps and five Lions Test caps<\/a>, said: \u201cWhat it probably did for me is ignite that ex-pro rugby player in me of detail, discipline, turning up when it\u2019s dark and dingy and cold, competing, and we went from there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt reminded me of being in the changing room before the big game, your nerves \u2013 are you going to be sick, you\u2019re happy, you\u2019re not happy, I can do this, this is raw.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m questioning myself, should I even be there? But then you go, actually, do you know what? I\u2019ve done the work. I\u2019ve done the graft.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But presenting his physique brought challenges of its own.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cThen there\u2019s the posing, left shoulder down, right arm across. Keep that tight. I\u2019ve lost my glutes, my hamstring\u2019s not engaged\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe thing is, you want to show off all that work and my glutes are the worst, and they were so much better than it showed on pictures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[On stage] you look the best version of you that you could look, but you feel the worst. It\u2019s kind of a silly sport but it\u2019s amazing what the human body can do.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAge, for me, doesn\u2019t bother me at all. I still think I\u2019m 27. My body tells me different.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844877\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Vickery has spoken about difficulties remembering ordinary life things having been diagnosed with CTE<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844900\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Vickery is among the former players involved in legal action against rugby\u2019s governing bodies over brain injuries<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But the physical challenges are only skin deep, the most integral purpose has been wellbeing.<\/p>\n<p>Vickery, who publicly discussed his probable CTE diagnosis in 2024, has spoken about difficulties remembering ordinary life things.<\/p>\n<p>CTE can currently only be definitively diagnosed after death. There is no cure, although treatment and support can help manage symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cI take comfort from knowing that I\u2019m doing everything I can to be the best I can and to go as long as possible, and to try and be that positive aspect of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vickery is among the former players involved in legal action against rugby\u2019s governing bodies over brain injuries.<\/p>\n<p>The players allege the authorities failed to protect them from the consequences of repeated head impacts \u2013 though the accused deny liability.<\/p>\n<p>For Vickery, the case is about securing support for the care he may need in the future.<\/p>\n<p>He told Sky Sports: \u201cPeople talk about money. It doesn\u2019t change my diagnosis. What it does do if we were to win, it allows you then to be able to plan for people to be able to look after me.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844906\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>For Vickery, the legal case is about securing support for the care he may need in the future<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40844909\" class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-caption alignnone aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span>Vickery\u2019s routine is three or four weights sessions a week, with daily walks and a protein-rich diet<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Credit: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/philvickery3\/?hl=en\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/philvickery3\/?hl=en<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And despite the place where Vickery has found himself, his love of rugby remains.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cPeople ask me, would you do it all again? Yeah, 100 per cent I would. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy only gripe is \u2013 look after me when I get too poorly. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s unreasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But for the time being, Vickery\u2019s routine is three or four weights sessions a week, with daily walks and a protein-rich diet.<\/p>\n<p>But he prioritises testing himself physically and mentally \u2013 especially putting himself in scenarios outside his comfort zone.<\/p>\n<p>He told BBC Sport: \u201cIt\u2019s repurposing the skills that you\u2019ve learned. You\u2019ve just got to use them in a different way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think everyone should go bodybuilding. My message is trying to be positive. Get out, do something, make a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/sport\/40844196\/phil-vickery-body-transformation-england-rugby-bodybuilding-cte\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PHIL VICKERY has swapped mud-stained kits for tan-dyed trunks having left the rugby world for a bodybuilding adventure. This week, 16 years ago, the Rugby World Cup winner announced his retirement from the sport he had known for his entire life. In 2010, Phil Vickery announced his retirement from rugby Credit: PA The Rugby World [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32904,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Inside Phil Vickery&#039;s body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique - World Bodybuilding News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inside Phil Vickery&#039;s body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique - World Bodybuilding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PHIL VICKERY has swapped mud-stained kits for tan-dyed trunks having left the rugby world for a bodybuilding adventure. This week, 16 years ago, the Rugby World Cup winner announced his retirement from the sport he had known for his entire life. In 2010, Phil Vickery announced his retirement from rugby Credit: PA The Rugby World [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World Bodybuilding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-29T21:08:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/newspress-collage-ycw9m6l96-1793184237406.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;1793184355&amp;w=360&amp;h=240&amp;crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"World Bodybuilding News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"World Bodybuilding News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"World Bodybuilding News\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d84bf475351cac13351c44d62b00dcd2\"},\"headline\":\"Inside Phil Vickery&#8217;s body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-29T21:08:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903\"},\"wordCount\":1185,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/crop-40844995.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903\",\"name\":\"Inside Phil Vickery's body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique - World Bodybuilding News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/crop-40844995.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-29T21:08:32+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d84bf475351cac13351c44d62b00dcd2\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/crop-40844995.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/crop-40844995.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?p=32903#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Inside Phil Vickery&#8217;s body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"World Bodybuilding News\",\"description\":\"Data, Rankings, Results.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d84bf475351cac13351c44d62b00dcd2\",\"name\":\"World Bodybuilding News\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f3a97dc2b632583ef0db5105000be61b101080263520a02b1a9096e649f18e5e?s=96&d=initials&r=g&initials=wo\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f3a97dc2b632583ef0db5105000be61b101080263520a02b1a9096e649f18e5e?s=96&d=initials&r=g&initials=wo\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f3a97dc2b632583ef0db5105000be61b101080263520a02b1a9096e649f18e5e?s=96&d=initials&r=g&initials=wo\",\"caption\":\"World Bodybuilding News\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\\\/?author=3\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Inside Phil Vickery's body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique - World Bodybuilding News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Inside Phil Vickery's body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique - World Bodybuilding News","og_description":"PHIL VICKERY has swapped mud-stained kits for tan-dyed trunks having left the rugby world for a bodybuilding adventure. This week, 16 years ago, the Rugby World Cup winner announced his retirement from the sport he had known for his entire life. In 2010, Phil Vickery announced his retirement from rugby Credit: PA The Rugby World [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903","og_site_name":"World Bodybuilding News","article_published_time":"2026-10-29T21:08:32+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/newspress-collage-ycw9m6l96-1793184237406.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;1793184355&amp;w=360&amp;h=240&amp;crop=1","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"World Bodybuilding News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"World Bodybuilding News","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903"},"author":{"name":"World Bodybuilding News","@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d84bf475351cac13351c44d62b00dcd2"},"headline":"Inside Phil Vickery&#8217;s body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique","datePublished":"2026-10-29T21:08:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903"},"wordCount":1185,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/crop-40844995.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903","url":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903","name":"Inside Phil Vickery's body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique - World Bodybuilding News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/crop-40844995.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-29T21:08:32+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d84bf475351cac13351c44d62b00dcd2"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/crop-40844995.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/crop-40844995.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=32903#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Inside Phil Vickery&#8217;s body transformation with England Rugby World Cup winner, 50, cutting unrecognisable new physique"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/","name":"World Bodybuilding News","description":"Data, Rankings, Results.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d84bf475351cac13351c44d62b00dcd2","name":"World Bodybuilding News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f3a97dc2b632583ef0db5105000be61b101080263520a02b1a9096e649f18e5e?s=96&d=initials&r=g&initials=wo","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f3a97dc2b632583ef0db5105000be61b101080263520a02b1a9096e649f18e5e?s=96&d=initials&r=g&initials=wo","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f3a97dc2b632583ef0db5105000be61b101080263520a02b1a9096e649f18e5e?s=96&d=initials&r=g&initials=wo","caption":"World Bodybuilding News"},"url":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?author=3"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}