England Rugby international James Haskell has become a gym franchisee, after opening a F45 functional training studio in Bath.

The new studio will offer 45-minute high-intensity, circuit training workouts using functional equipment

Haskell's site follows other, recent F45 studio openings in Oxford Circus (London), Vauxhall, Bristol and Birmingham.

Haskell first announced his plans to open a F45 site in 2017.

“I tried F45 in the US when I was over there on holiday," Haskell said.

"I found the circuit based training really engaging and fun.

"It’s all the kind of stuff I would use to get fit for rugby, and for the majority of people, regular F45 sessions are everything they need to maintain and achieve good levels of fitness.

"I think people are crying out for an accessible, group-based fitness programme that isn’t intimidating, and most importantly delivers amazing results. That is what F45 is all about and why I am so delighted to be involved.

“I have always loved Bath as a city, it’s rich in rugby history and has a young, fitness-focused demographic, which suits our target audience and ambition”.

Australia-based F45 currently has 35 studios operating in the UK under franchise agreements.

Founded by entrepreneur Rob Deutsch in 2012, the company has grown rapidly and is now considered the second largest functional training network in the world.

The group is set to hit the landmark of 1,500 franchises globally this year.