Phil Vickery's Bodybuilding Transformation: From Rugby Glory to Personal Battles

Reaching the summit is one thing; figuring out what comes next is another. For Phil Vickery, the peak arrived in Sydney in 2003 when England became world champions. After the final whistle, the prop, who had watched Jonny Wilkinson's winning drop goal from the sidelines, rushed onto the pitch to celebrate England's historic victory – a moment that defined his rugby career.

Yet, life after rugby presented a different challenge. Bankruptcy, divorce, and a loss of identity left the former England captain facing battles tougher than any on the field. Remarkably, bodybuilding offered Vickery a new sense of purpose. Now competing on the bodybuilding stage, the ex-prop has undergone a striking physical transformation, appearing almost unrecognizable from his rugby days.

"Whatever else is going on in the world is irrelevant when you walk through those gym doors," he told Daily Mail Sport's Nik Simon in 2024. "I needed a challenge, something outside my comfort zone. I decided to do a bodybuilding show and placed third."

"My genetics aren't great for bodybuilding, but I loved the process – the pain, the hurt, the suffering to get on stage. When you look someone in the eye who has gone through that, you feel immense respect. It's similar to looking at another rugby player: 'You're hurt, come here bud, well done.'"

Bodybuilding wasn't Vickery's first attempt to forge a new path. Shortly after retiring, he turned to cooking, winning the 2011 series of Celebrity Masterchef. This success led him to open his restaurant, No. 3, in Cheltenham.

However, the venture faced difficulties. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted its planned 2020 opening, forcing it to operate as a takeaway service initially. Despite relocating, No. 3 eventually ceased trading in January 2024, with Vickery citing the cost-of-living crisis and soaring energy bills as key factors that devastated business.

The restaurant's closure marked another painful setback. The financial repercussions were part of a broader period of upheaval that led to his personal bankruptcy the following month. In February 2024, Vickery filed for bankruptcy, owing his liquidated consultancy firm, Vix Limited, £97,806. Sources indicated he had accrued debts of hundreds of thousands of pounds to contacts and HMRC, with the company also owing HMRC £71,000 in VAT, PAYE, and National Insurance.

Alongside financial turmoil, Vickery navigated the breakdown of his marriage, facing professional and personal challenges simultaneously. "It's been f***ing difficult," Vickery admitted on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast in December 2024. "The hardest part is obviously the family side of things. You make decisions, things happen, and then you deal with the repercussions – and often that's sad, it's difficult, it's hard."

"There are no winners in it for anyone. Obviously family, my children, and all your associates – your conditional and non-conditional friends, you find out who they are. It's been an interesting exercise. It hurts, it's horrible. Honour, integrity – all those things – but it's happened. It's very rare that business and personal are linked, but for me, perhaps they are. It's been hard."

Vickery's embrace of bodybuilding was not an immediate fix, nor did it erase his difficulties, but it provided a tangible goal when he desperately needed new direction. Warned about alcohol during his tough times, he was determined not to turn to drink. During his 2024 Daily Mail Sport interview, he explained how bodybuilding offered a healthier alternative: "Going through divorce, somebody said, 'Don't let drink become your friend,' and that really spooked me. I could quite easily see how I could fall into that, so I consciously stayed away from it. Bodybuilding was a good excuse, that final prep, because you're super clean."

"Covid, the restaurant, bankruptcy, divorce… is it the lowest point of your life? Of course it is. It's your own integrity. It's Phil Vickery: honesty, integrity, passion, pride… but you've failed. You can keep playing a game, telling yourself you'll make it work. In the end, it caught up with me."

"You start asking yourself, 'What is the purpose of me being here? Is it easier if I'm not here?' There have been scenarios I've gone through in my head, but the more I think about that, regardless of what others think of me, I've got two beautiful kids, an amazing brother and sister, my mum, my aunty, my uncle, my cousins. Selfish isn't the right word, but you think, 'Come on.'"

The former England captain also struggled to accept life after rugby, admitting he couldn't attend the 10-year reunion of England's 2003 World Cup-winning squad. His difficulties were reflected physically. After three neck operations, Vickery found it hard to maintain his playing career's training regimen, and the absence of a clear competitive goal led to steady weight gain.

"I really struggled with the gym after rugby because I had always trained with a purpose. Suddenly you get a little bit bigger and a little bit rounder," he added. "Another year, another half a stone. Before I knew it, I was 24 stone. A big whopper. You're thinking, 'F***ing hell, my knees hurt, my ankles hurt, my shoulders hurt. F***ing hell, Phil, come on.'"

By 2024, however, Vickery had shed six stone, bringing his weight down to 18 stone. More importantly, he recognized exercise as something that could benefit him beyond elite competition. "It took me a long time to understand that I need to go to the gym for my own wellbeing, be it physical health or mental health," he added.

In August, Vickery revealed he has memory issues after being diagnosed with 'probable' chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease typically caused by repeated head impacts. "The sport’s f***ing amazing," he told The Observer. "Rugby’s an amazing sport. You know, the sad reality is I sit here today: would I do it all again? Oh my God, I would. I’m f***ing mental, but I would because it’s amazing.

"I also sit here knowing there are lots of people out there, I believe, who are suffering because of the sport. And it’s not about blaming the sport and about getting all nasty and horrible. Let’s just f***ing help people. There are people suffering, so let’s help them."

Now, at 50, Vickery is thriving in his unlikely second career as a bodybuilder. On Tuesday, he stunned fans by sharing a glimpse of his remarkable physique on social media, posing with a bronzed, chiselled frame after his latest competition in Hull.

On Instagram, Vickery wrote: "Your physique is the reflection of your work. It’s not about anyone else for me it’s just you being the best version of you and being better than last time."