Italy centre Michele Campagnaro might be absent from club duty while the Six Nations Championship is on, but he has still been able to represent Exeter Chiefs in a remarkable photo shoot.

The photograph shows Campagnaro posing with a local competitive pole dancer. They might be standing in front of a green screen, but that's where the optical tricks end.

The pair are actually displaying a move known as the 'human flagpole', where the person operating as the 'pole' has to help hold the weight of the person flying as the 'flag' - who in turn needs tremendous core stability to hold their body out in a line.

Campagnaro has been part of similarly impressive displays in the ongoing Six Nations, scoring a try against England last weekend in his side's 36-15 defeat.