Who is Jason Robinson? The Jump 2017 finalist and ex-England rugby captain – all you need to know
JASON Robinson is a former rugby player and was the fast winger for England famed for nipping through countless opponents to score a try from nowhere.
He is proving his mettle at snow sports too as he takes part in the latest series of The Jump which kicked off on February 5 and has made it all the way to the Grand Final.
A recovering alcoholic with the nickname Billy Whizz here's all you need to know about the man himself.
Who is Jason Robinson and where is he from?
Robinson was born on July 30, 1974, in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
He has two older brothers and was raised by his mother and a step-father.
He is of Scottish and Jamaican heritage.
His father, William Thorpe, a Jamaican living in Leeds, left his mother before Robinson was born.
When did did Jason discover rugby?
He starting playing rugby league as a child at the Hunslet Boys Club and then Hunslet Parkside.
He launched his career in 1991 at semi-professional side Hunslet Hawks.
Despite being offered a contract by Leeds he stayed at his first club as it would have been an inconvenient time to leave.
How did he get involved in Rugby Union?
After rugby league changed to a summer sport and rugby union become open to professional players Robinson joined Bath.
He made his debut for Sale Sharks against Coventry in November 2000.
He first played for England against Italy in 2001. He scored 30 tries in 56 international matches and captained a match.
Has Jason Robinson had problems with alcohol?
He has admitted being a heavy drinker and he struggled with a battle which almost led to his downfall.
He once contemplated suicide after a night of drinking and his arrest for violent offences.
Now, with the influence of his former teamate Va'aiga Tuigamala, he is now tee-total and a Christian.
Did Jason retire from international sport... or didn't he?
Robinson announced he would retire from international rugby union in 2005.
He gave his reason as he wanted to spend more time with his family.
He returned to the international scene for the 2007 Six Nations tournament.
Despite his 15-month absence he scored two tries on his return.
He then quit club rugby and carried on playing international games for the rest of the tournament.
What about Jason's career as a coach?
The RFL announced Robinson would return to rugby league in a coaching capacity at grass roots level.
In 2009 it was announced that he would re-join Sale Sharks as head coach for that season.
After the 2003 Rugby World Cup Robinson wrote an autobiography called Finding My Feet.
In it he wrote about his childhood and what happened when he first found rugby success.
In 2005 a biography, The Real Jason Robinson, was written by Dave Swanton.
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