Who is Chris Robshaw? Meet Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant and rugby player
Chris has some friendly competition with former contestant Ugo Monye, who he is hoping to beat.
Strictly Come Dancing is back for a flurry of entertaining live shows this autumn and winter period, as this year's line-up prepare to dance their hearts out in the hopes of lifting the Glitterball trophy.
One celebrity who is no stranger to trophies is rugby union player Chris Robshaw, who wanted to "challenge" himself by taking part on Strictly, having turned down the opportunity before.
Chris is paired with Nadiya Bychkova, who loves "working with athletes" when it comes to Strictly.
"They understand that you need to put the work in, and it’s really important for Strictly because the time frame is so short," she told Radio Times magazine. "I can already say that Chris is maybe even better than any of my experiences before with athletes."
With a new dazzling and glitter-filled season of Strictly ahead, just who is Chris Robshaw? Scroll down to learn more about the famous face.
Who is Chris Robshaw?
Age: 39
Job: Former rugby union player
Instagram: @chrisrobshawrugby
Partner: Nadiya Bychkova
Chris Robshaw is a former England rugby union player and captain, with 66 caps for England. He captained the national team 43 times, leading them to a Six Nations Grand Slam victory in 2016.
At club level, he played 300 games for Harlequins RFC, guiding them through their most successful era. He is also the only player to win the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year Award twice.
He also made 18 appearances for the San Diego Legion from 2021 to 2022, before announcing his retirement in October 2022.
In a statement shared on social media, Chris said at the time: "After 18 years of professional rugby and a career I could only have dreamt of, I am officially announcing my retirement from the great game.
"Following three dislocated shoulders in quick succession, my body has told me to blow the final whistle."
What is Chris Robshaw dancing to in Week 1 on Strictly?
Chris and dance partner Nadiya will be dancing the Samba to Unbelievable by EMF.
What has Chris Robshaw said about Strictly Come Dancing?
The news that Chris would be joining Strictly was revealed on The Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 alongside La Voix.
Of joining Strictly Come Dancing, Chris said: "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."
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 27th September at 6:55pm.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
