James Haskell

James Andrew Welbon Haskellis an English former rugby union player who played chiefly as a flanker for Wasps RFC and Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership, and internationally for England.

In August 2019 he announced he would become a professional mixed martial artist and is currently signed to Bellator MMA, where he is to compete in their Heavyweight division. In November 2019, it was announced that Haskell would be participating in the nineteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

Club career

Haskell played for Maidenhead Rugby Club prior to joining (Wasps RFC), where he was part of the highly successful Colts set up. He was a replacement as Wasps won the 2007 Heineken Cup Final. The following season he started as Wasps won the 2007–08 Premiership Final. It was announced on 17 February 2009 that Haskell would join Top 14 side Stade Francais at the end of the 2008–09 season.

Haskell played as a loose forward. He announced at the end of the 2010–11 season that he had been released from his contract at Stade Francais, and would instead be rejoining Wasps at the start of the 2012–13 season. During the season after the World Cup, he would play in Japan for the Rams, before seeking a Super Rugby contract for the rest of the season.

In 2011, Haskell agreed to join the Highlanders in Super Rugby, saying he has always wanted to play in new environments and to "improve and become a better player for England". While there, Haskell was competing for the Flanker position with future Scotland international, John Hardie.

In January 2018 it was announced he would leave Wasps at the end of the 2017–18 Aviva Premiership season.

On 7 May 2019 Haskell announced his retirement from professional rugby via an Instagram post.