LIST | 5 rugby players who struggled with alcohol - but bounced back!

The former England captain had a few troubling run-ins with alcohol during his career, whether it be the dwarf-throwing night which saw him kiss a woman who wasn't his royal partner or when he pleaded guilty to drink-driving in 2008.

However, the centre has done a lot to repair his reputation since hanging up his boots and confirmed that he's 'reduced the amount he drinks', which he believes is the reason he can continue to occasionally play for Minchinhampton, the club close to his home.  

The England captain has revealed how his life spiralled into depression following their 2015 Rugby World Cup defeats to Wales and Australia. Robshaw quickly overcame his troubles, and quickly established himself as a key play for England once again under Eddie Jones.

The Wallabies stars frustrations with his own performance caused him to turn to alcohol and prescription drugs, which led to a drunken outburst at Perth airport in 2012. O'Connor then moved to France, where his life hit rock bottom when he was thrown into a Parisian jail cell for two nights in 2017 for another run-in with too much drink. He's since resurrected his career and went onto represent Australia at the 2019 World Cup.

Cipriani was arrested and charged for common assault, larceny, assault on police, resisting arrest, and being disorderly on licensed premises in Jersey in 2018. It was reported at the time that Cipriani got into an altercation with a bouncer outside The Little Drift nightclub. He'd also been hit by a bus during a pub crawl years earler

The fly-half bounced back from this and in May 2019 he was voted Player of the Year by the Rugby Players Association. He's also found a settled relationship, which seems to have calmed down the mercurial playmaker.

In 2006, at the age of 17, Matagi was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting two boys during a drunken rage that occurred when he was 15. He served his sentence at Mount Eden Prison, and later Manawatu Prison, before his participation in rehabilitation courses saw him granted parole after one year. He went onto have a succesful rugby league career, representing Samoa and New Zealand at Test level.