Rugby has a decent record in Strictly Come Dancing – think Austin Healey and Matt Dawson although perhaps not Ugo Monye – and that tradition was maintained and improved on this year when BBC wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin only went and won the damn thing.
Hamza is a big unit and was an enthusiastic prop at Bangor University, where he studied zoology, and Nottingham where he concentrated on wildlife photography and that strength, rather than the twinkling toes of those illustrious backs, came to the fore.
Hamza, who has also turned his hand to caber tossing and other Highland Games sports and wood chopping since moving to the Arnamurchan peninsula 12 years ago, staggered the judges with a series of audacious lifts, sending his partner Jowita Pryzstal into orbit and returning her safely time after time.
“I think it comes from the days of chucking people up in lineouts in rugby, and also tossing the caber in Scotland, which is really good fun,” recalls Hamza.
“My biggest challenge was my weight and my fitness; I'm a big dude and I imagined I would be like a rhino where I can have a short burst of energy and then I'm knackered afterwards.
“So then I wanted to be a dolphin that's constantly moving through water that can go for hours and hours. I'm an ex rugby player and what we do in rugby is completely different to what you do on the dance floor but it worked out.”
