Chris Robshaw and Camilla Kerslake look back: ‘I wasn’t sure drinking and roller skating was the best combination’
Born in 1986 in Surrey, Chris Robshaw is a former rugby union player. A member of the Harlequins team, he went on to become captain of the England team from 2012 until 2015, before retiring in 2022. He married classical crossover singer Camilla Kerslake in 2018. Kerslake has performed for Queens Elizabeth II and Camilla, as well as singing the national anthem at Wembley and the then Millennium Stadium. They have two children, and run the Kerslake Robshaw Foundation, which offers educational and career support for young people from less privileged backgrounds.
Chris
This was Camilla’s 24th birthday. In typical fashion, she wanted to do something a bit different, and decided on neon clothing and a roller disco. I was rocking a tight white top and some funky sweats on the bottom, both of which are perhaps not as flattering on me all these years later.
We had only been together a few months when this was taken, so that night was one of the first times I met Camilla’s friends. Alcohol gives you a bit more confidence in those situations, which was helpful as I was nervous. I am quite shy and introverted, but they were all so welcoming. One of Camilla’s friends is married to Ade Adepitan, the Paralympian. He wheeled everyone around in his wheelchair, which was quite amazing. I wasn’t sure if drinking and roller skating was the best combination but having an athletic party suited me – it meant I didn’t have to dance.
I had a lot of responsibility but being with Camilla was an escape from the intensity. She was great at bringing out my fun side
We first met at a charity dinner in a fancy hotel – I was there in a rugby capacity and Camilla, who was doing the sports circuit at the time, was there to perform. When I saw her on stage I thought: this person is extremely talented and also very good looking. As I walked out of the venue to go home, she happened to be passing in the other direction and we basically bumped into each other. It was incredibly serendipitous – if I had stayed at my table for one more drink, we would never have met.
When we first started dating, I was 23 and the captain of the Harlequins, and by 25 I was the captain of England. I had a lot of responsibility but being with Camilla was an escape; a break from the intensity. We’d go to theme parks a lot and she was great at bringing out my fun side, as well as being just as career-driven as I was.
My love for Camilla has grown even more over the years, especially seeing how caring she is as a mother. We have even been training recently, which has been a great way to spend time together. Even though I’m retired, I can’t sit still; I always want to be on the go. I draw the line at roller discos, though.
Camilla
This was at the start of the night, in my old flat in Pimlico. The wig was fun, the T-shirt had some kind of girl power slogan on it, and I loved the hot pants. I don’t wear them any more, for the good of humanity.
Before we left for the disco, my friends made me down a dirty pint – which is where you fill a glass with a bit of everyone’s drink. We didn’t have a pint glass so it was a cereal bowl and it consisted of the typically filthy drinks you buy in your 20s – beer, cider and alcopops. The dirty pint hit me hard: as this was the 2010s, I was feeling the pressure to remain a size six, so I would normally exclusively drink something clean like vodka soda. When I arrived at the disco, I was three sheets to the wind. Bless Ade – he helped me get around the rink as it was proving difficult by 10pm.
For someone as shy as Chris, he did great when faced with my friends, who all loved him, not least because he kept getting them rounds. He had been playing professionally since he was 17, whereas most of my friends were broke and still at university.
If he had a loss on a Saturday, I’d say, look, you can be upset about this until Monday. After that, you don’t get to bring it home
I’d been asked out by a footballer the week before I met Chris. The footballer had contacted his agent to get my number off my agent, and I thought: “What, are we children?” I figured he was a spoiled sports person and didn’t follow it up. Chris, however, asked me out on the spot. I looked into his beautiful, honest face and thought, “Yes, I like the cut of your jib.” He was a successful guy, but I loved that he wasn’t a slick Rick. He was open and kind, and I have always been attracted to the type of man who would make your mum lunch if she was sick. The fact that he looked like a Greek god was a bonus.
My manager was with me that night and said, “No! You absolutely cannot go out with someone in the public eye!” My label had a tight grip on my image and they were very keen for me not to be in a relationship, let alone one with a high-profile sportsman. Unfortunately for them, there was just something about Chris. I was well behaved in general, but this was the first time I thought, “No. This man is lovely. I am going to give him my number.”
I really wasn’t looking to meet anyone at the time. Chris had been single for pretty much his whole life, but there was a gang of handsome, successful players he was friends with, and one by one they kept meeting women who would become their wives. Chris thought, “Right, this is what we are doing now!” Meanwhile I was really enjoying being on my own, and feeling free. That didn’t last long. Within a few months I knew he was “the one”.
Chris was always very serious about his job. If he had a loss on a Saturday, I’d say, “Look, you can be upset about this until Monday. But that’s it. After that, you don’t get to bring it home.” I loved his passion, but you have to have joy in your life, too. Even now I sometimes have to tell him to live in the moment. He’s always thinking 10 steps ahead. Having children also taught us about how to be present; childhood doesn’t last long, they’re only little for a handful of years.
A week after this picture was taken, my mum got diagnosed with cancer. It was a real stressor on me emotionally and the first trial Chris and I had to overcome. I stopped working for 18 months so I could care for her, and I moved into Chris’s house as it was closer to hers. She was, and still is, my best friend and I was faced with losing her so young. But Chris was kind and understanding, and eventually she got the all clear.
In our second year Chris was made England captain, so he was away a lot. He ended up getting me a puppy to keep me company, a dog we still have to this day. Some of the other girls would cry when their boyfriends were away, saying, “I miss them so much!” I’d reply, “You knew what you were signing up to! There are perks to going out with a rugby player, and if your relationship is strong, you’ll get through it.”
We don’t get a lot of time for dates, but we have sweet moments with each other every day – whether it’s cooking and having a little dance or smooch in the kitchen, or walking the dog. That being said, I wouldn’t mind a bit less “Quick, we have an hour free after the gym, let’s get lunch” and a bit more “I’ve put on high heels and Spanx, let’s go somewhere nice!”
