Raging Bull Phil Vickery scrums down with fans at clothes launch in Shrewsbury

The 2003 World Cup winning legend met fans of all ages – including a six-month-old – during his visit to Rackhams, the House of Fraser store in Shrewsbury. He was launching his Raging Bull leisure and sportswear range.

Dozens of fans queued yesterday to meet the player-turned-designer who spent more than two hours chatting and signing autographs.

There he met fan Henry Davies, 10, from Condover. The youngster plays for Shrewsbury under 11s and said he was looking forward to meeting his hero and picking up a few tips.

Phil, nicknamed Raging Bull by Sir Clive Woodward, also sang happy birthday to one youngster as well as cuddled his youngest fan – six-month-old Herbie Jones from Oswestry.

He also met Lion Hotel chef Ben Richards, 23, from Shrewsbury, who scooped £300 worth of Raging Bull clothes after winning a Shropshire Star competition. Georgette Ryan, for Raging Bull, said they had chosen Shrewsbury as one of four places to launch the range because of the town's love of rugby.

Phil, who captained England at the 2007 World Cup, said he had the idea for a leisurewear range in about 1997.

"Since then through blood, sweat and tears, lots of hard work and lots of fantastic people we are in 18 House of Frasers up and down the country," he said. "The range is very personal to me. This is me, this is my range, I am the founder of the Raging Bull and I care about it.It has been hard work. We have started from nothing. But it is good, you meet some lovely people, like today.

"People have been very loyal to me and I genuinely feel privileged, I really, really do."

Vickery said he was still involved in rugby, coaching one day a week at Worcester, and on the media side.

"I can honestly say that I love the game as much as when I first started. I love it. It is in my blood."