Former England rugby union captain Chris Robshaw was the eighth contestant announced for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The 39-year-old has admitted that the challenge of the dancefloor will be unlike anything he has faced on the rugby pitch.
“This is about as far out of my comfort zone as it gets! I’m hoping to take my dad dancing to a whole new level, and my mum can’t wait to drag me along to her Zumba class. Let’s see if a rugby sidestep works in the Cha Cha Cha,” he said.
Born in Redhill, Surrey, in 1986, Robshaw rose through the rugby ranks at the Harlequins academy, making his senior debut for the club in 2005. Playing as a flanker, he quickly became defined by his tireless work rate, noble leadership and relentless tackling.
He would play for Harlequins for 15 years, making more than 300 appearances and becoming a club legend in the process. During this time with Harlequins, he played an instrumental role in the club’s 2011 European Challenge Cup triumph and the club’s first-ever Premiership title in 2012. Robshaw is also the only player to win the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year Award twice.
Robshaw won his first England cap in 2009 against Argentina and in 2012, under coach Stuart Lancaster, was appointed as team captain.
After a turbulent 2011 World Cup, which saw England eliminated at the quarter-final stage, Robshaw was entrusted with leading a relatively inexperienced side. Robshaw initially revelled in the role, guiding England to memorable victories, most notably a famous win over New Zealand at Twickenham in December 2012.
His tenure as England captain, though, was not without disappointment.
The team fell agonisingly short of winning the 2015 Six Nations, finishing second overall after failing to beat France by at least 27 points on the final day. Further failure followed at that year’s Rugby World Cup, which was held in England. The host nation won just two of their four group games and were eliminated at the first hurdle.
Robshaw was stripped of the captaincy and replaced by Dylan Hartley. That didn’t signal the end of his international career, though, as Robshaw carried on playing for England until 2018, winning 66 caps overall.
After stepping down from international duty in 2018, Robshaw continued to ply his trade with Harlequins until 2020, before making the move to Major League Rugby in the United States, playing for San Diego Legion.
Injury would curtail his time in the United States and he announced his retirement from the sport in 2022.
In his personal life, Robshaw married classical crossover singer Camilla Kerslake in 2018. They welcomed their first child, a boy, in 2021.
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