Mike Tindall says Zara would be 'honest' about struggles after he quit rugby

Mike Tindall, who is married to Zara Tindall, the Queen's granddaughter, has opened up the issues he faced

Mike Tindall has candidly discussed the challenges he faced with Zara Tindall, admitting that it isn't "that easy". The former English rugby union player, who appeared on the ITV series Grand Slammers, visited HMP The Mount for a unique challenge.

The Category C prison in Hertfordshire boasts one of the few rugby pitches inside an adult male English prison. In the show, Mike and other rugby legends harnessed the power of sports to train a group of prisoners to compete against a tough Australian team.

As we previously reported, during a scene from the second part of the series, Mike opened up about his relationship with Zara, King Charles III's niece, and his post-rugby life. He revealed: "Everyone thinks that just by marrying Zara that means it's all fine and dandy... But that doesn't stop the fact that you need a job.

"And it's not that easy, you know - you get quite institutionalised into rugby, it's a way of life and you leave the game and that's not there.

"I don't think you can ever sort of describe when you're so used to being around that many people, and understanding, because of it being ingrained in you, where you fit in to then not being that person," reports the Daily Record.

"Zara would say if she was honest it was probably a year it took me to figure out what I was, who I was going to be."

He commented: "You've got to then go carve where the next path is - you can never replace going to work with 35 of your best friends every day."

The series aims to highlight how channelling energy into team sports can positively influence prisoners' lives and potentially reduce their chances of reoffending post-release. Mike featured in the two-part documentary along with fellow rugby legends, including captain Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Phil Vickery, Jason Robinson, Will Greenwood, Ben Cohen, and Matt Dawson.

These sportsmen attempted to build a team from the prison inmates, training them to be formidable enough to compete, while also teaching them about the camaraderie, intensity, emotion, thrill, and humour that comes from being in a team striving towards a common goal.