Born: 1975 Place of Birth: Barnstaple Height: 6'3" Weight: Nickname: The Raging Bull Postions: Front-ranker Teams: England, London Wasps School:

Phil "The Raging Bull" Vickery was appointed England captain in early January 2007, taking over from Martin Corry. The hard-hitting (and sometimes stamping) prop, who has also been floored once or twice in his time, made his England debut against Wales in 1998 and now plays his club rugby for Wasps, following an 11-year association with Gloucester.

Vickery was part of the England side that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where he played in all seven games and captained his country for the first time against Uruguay. He also scored his first try in international rugby when he came off the bench against Samoa in England’s third game of the competition.

Vickery MBE, 31, who boasts an Oriental tattoo that translates into, "I'll fight you to the death," had to overcome a host of injury setbacks (a third back operation after having another on an eye socket, and also a broken arm sustained in a match against Bath in February 2005) to find himself at the helm of the England side for Rugby World Cup 2007. He battled his way through all of these to make a triumphant return off the bench after a year’s absence from Test rugby with the winning try in England's 23-21 victory in the first of two Tests against South Africa in November 2006.

Other obstacles along Vickery's path include a neck injury in 1999, a shoulder injury that kept him out of the 2000 South Africa tour, a back injury (needed surgery) that saw him miss the 2003 Six Nations tournament, and another back operation in May 2004 that ruled him out of the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia.

Vickery, by the way, grew up on a cattle farm, where he qualified at the age of 18 as an artificial inseminator. "In September, God willing," wrote the Sunday Times' Paul Ackford in April 2007, " he will lead England in their defence of the World Cup. Some journey for a man who might otherwise have spent his life with his arm up a cow's backside."

Off the rugby field, Vickery has done his bit for the Madeleine McCann campaign and to promote the game.