Mike Tindall has told how he and wife Zara Tindall discovered they both "quite like getting smashed" on their first date.

Mike Tindall and wife Zara Tindall discovered they both 'quite like getting smashed' on their first date

Mike Tindall and wife Zara Tindall discovered they both 'quite like getting smashed' on their first date

The former England rugby union player admitted it was a "good start" when he and the 41-year-old royal - who is the daughter of Princess Anne - figured out they both enjoyed a drink during a "boozy" lunch together.

He said: "First actual date, just went out for lunch locally. And ended up being quite a boozy one.

"Then we figured out that we both quite like getting smashed. It was a good start."

The 44-year-old former Gloucester star player met Zara - the niece of King Charles - in Sydney, Australia in 2003 during the sport's World Cup, when he had gone out for a beer to drown his sorrows after being dropped for the country's semi-final against France.

Mike had played in the quarter-final win over Wales, and while he wasn't selected by coach Sir Clive Woodward for the semi-final victory over France, he returned to the starting line-up for the historic final win over Australia.

Speaking on ITV reality show 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' - which is based in the Australian jungle - he explained: "I was at the World Cup, she was out watching.

"I got dropped from the semi-final. I was p***** off and so I went for a beer with another guy who got dropped and a guy who was over [in Sydney].

"They'd met her before and they introduced us and then got chatting.

"Best decision of Clive Woodward's life."

Mike - who broke his nose at least eight times throughout his playing career - recently admitted Zara's biggest concern about his time in the jungle is how loud he is when he eats.

He recently said: "Zara told me to go and be myself, which is all you can be. She said to go enjoy yourself and be yourself. Zara’s biggest worry is how loud I am when I eat.

"She will be very happy if someone comments about how loud I breathe when I eat because it’s always a point that she brings up. When your nose has been mangled as much as mine has it is just a by-product."

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