I feel very fortunate and proud to kick off my first Last Word On Sports interview with a Raging Bull of many talents, Phil Vickery, MBE.
Phil played in the region of 200 top flight games for Gloucester Rugby & London Wasps, played for England at three World Cup Finals, including captaining the side in 2007 and also toured with the British and Irish Lions.
Phil, what was your first involvement in rugby?
I actually didn’t play until I started at my secondary school down in Cornwall and because I picked it up pretty quickly soon joined a local club so I could play with my mates.
Where did you play and what was your position (were you always destined to be a prop)?
Afraid so! Always a big lad so straight into the forwards.
Which was your grassroots club?
Bude RFC – I have some incredibly fond memories of my time there. A proper grassroots club.
Did your business interests grow before you retired and what would you have done had you not played professionally?
I started Raging Bull sportswear around the time of the 2003 World Cup because I knew I had to think about the future.
Following that, I launched Leisurewear which is the lifestyle collection in 2007 whilst I was still playing and captaining England at the World Cup. I have a fantastic team who run the clothing company for me on a day to day basis but now I am retired of course I get to interfere a lot more!
I work in the meat trade professionally, so was thrilled to see Phil involved in Masterchef & the Tri-Nations Butchery competition between Australia, England and New Zealand. Meat and Rugby providing competitive rivalry!
What was your motivation to enter Masterchef, did the ambassador roles with EBLEX (a national industry body promoting British Beef and Lamb)/Tri-Nations Butchery and McDonalds come off the back of this or did you have an association already?
I have always had a passion for food. Coming from a farming background I grew up around cattle and actually qualified as a cattle inseminator would you believe. If rugby had not come along I would have farmed for definite.
My love is also for British produced food – particularly top quality meat. I often cook at home and enjoyed it so when the opportunity for Masterchef came up I thought why not.
Certainly the McDonalds and Tri Nations came about as people are now beginning to know I feel quite strongly about good food.
Do you see the food side of your work growing?
I am sure it will continue to grow further and I have plenty of ideas and projects on the go relating to food.
However my Raging Bull clothing brand is still one of my main focuses and I am very proud of the way it has grown so rapidly particularly in House of Fraser (a national chain of department stores) from one store three years ago to over thirty now.
Raging Bull is going from strength to strength, which clubs do you supply and do you sponsor anybody directly?
The Sportswear Division is doing well and growing rapidly supplying hundreds of grassroots clubs as well as universities and colleges.
On the lifestyle front we have a Big & Tall range which is doing fantastically well. All those props and second rows are well looked after by Raging Bull.
We are also just working now on a brilliant Rugby World Cup collection which will be on our online site early next year and include T shirts, tops, hoodies all designed to celebrate the cup being played in England in 2015.
What made you decide to set up Raging Bull?
It was one of those kitchen table moments when you casually chat to friends. It struck me back in 2003 that my nickname ‘the Raging Bull’ would make a great brand name for a clothing range and so it has proved much to my delight.
I get a lot of rugby club members coming up to me to chat about the collection and it still gives me a great buzz to see someone out and about wearing the brand.
Is public speaking on your achievements in the game and your foodie exploits something that you also do, you have a really varied repertoire to use now?!
I must admit I do have some pretty varied interests from charity commitments to The Wooden Spoon and the Prince of Wales’ Countryside Trust to clothing and food! I do a fair amount of public speaking now which is always great fun and I can certainly tailor my speech for most audiences.
Do you have time for any other interests?
With two little ones and everything else in my life plus TV and media work there is not a lot of free time!
I am a big supporter of the countryside and my perfect weekend includes lots of getting out and about in the Gloucestershire countryside with the wife and kids.
Phil, thanks so much for taking the trouble to contribute to Last Word On Sports and I hope that business continues to go from strength to strength.
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