A World Cup winning rugby player took the helm at a regional daily when he became the title’s first guest editor.

Phil Vickery edited Gloucester’s The Citizen one day last week, choosing the front page and other stories and writing the editor’s leader column about the 2015 World Cup legacy.

During his time at the paper, he also conducted a live web chat with visitors to the paper’s website, which included pupils from different schools logging on to ask him questions about rugby and his career.

Phil, who is a reader of The Citizen, is a former player for Gloucester Rugby and Wasps who was part of England’s World Cup winning squad in 2003. 

Citizen editor Jenny Eastwood said: “It was an absolute pleasure having Phil as editor of the paper.

“He is passionate about Gloucester, the county and The Citizen and so he was the ideal choice to be our first guest editor. We cannot thank him enough for taking time out to spend with us.”

Phil, who is also a Celebrity Masterchef winner, said he was delighted to be involved with the Citizen, saying the paper was “the be all and end all for people” when it came to news.

During his time there, the former rugby player also chose the front cover of the paper’s Young Sport supplement, as a keen backer of grassroots sport.