Strictly bosses 'in talks' with England rugby legend amid rumours over pro pairing

A retired rugby union player is reportedly in talks to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. There's already speculation over who they could be partnered with for the BBC dance contest if they end up taking part in the upcoming series.

The show is set to return later this year and rehearsals underway for the professional dancers. The line-up of contestants for the new series of Strictly has yet to be announced, but there's been speculation over potential contestants in recent weeks.

Chris Robshaw, 39, who captained England's national team, is now among those rumoured for the dancefloor when the show returns. Since his retirement from rugby in 2022, he's already been on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

It's been teased that Chris would likely be paired up with pro Nadiya Bychkova, 35, if he does Strictly this year. She was announced as one of the returning dancers in April, alongside two new additions to the pro line-up.

Chris, who is married to classical singer Camilla Kerslake, is thought to be almost 6 foot 2 inches tall so there's speculation that Nadiya would be only pro close to matching his stature, unless he has a same-sex partner for the competition. A source teased to the Sun that Chris, who is reportedly in "advanced talks" for Strictly, and returning pro Nadiya could deliver "sizzling performances" if they are partnered on the show.

The source said: "Chris is likely to be the hunkiest celebrity signing for the 2025 show and if he does get paired with Nadiya will deliver some sizzling performances. But as a former rugby star he'll also have some big dance shoes to fill as plenty of other players have gone onto Strictly and done remarkably well."

A number of former rugby players have competed on Strictly since the TV show launched in 2004, with Martin Offiah placing fourth in the first series. Matt Dawson was runner-up in 2006 and Kenny Logan then placed fifth in 2007.

Austin Healey also achieved a top five position when he competed in 2008, having placed fourth. Gavin Henson, who appeared on the show in 2010, and Ben Cohen, who competed in 2013, ended up in fifth and eighth place respectively.

More recently, contestants with a background in rugby haven't done as well on Strictly though. Thom Evans placed twelfth when he competed in the ballroom back in 2014 and Ugo Monye placed eleventh in the contest in 2021.

The line-up of contestants for the new series has yet to be announced. The BBC however has already confirmed which pros will be returning to the dancefloor, with Nadiya among the dancers coming back for another series.

Nadiya and the other pros have already started rehearsing for the upcoming series. They have posted updates from training on Instagram, including introducing Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon, who are the newest pros on the show.

A photo of the group together in a dance studio was shared by Nadiya last night. She wrote in the caption: "Back in the ballroom bubble with the best in the business. Another season, another adventure - and I'm so ready for it."

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