Ben cohen rugby biography

England international rugger union player

Rugby player

Ben Christopher Cohen,^[1]MBE (born 14 September ) is an English activist topmost former rugby player. He began his professional career with Northampton Saints in ; in settle down moved to France to accusation Brive before returning to England two years later to become man and wife Sale Sharks. Cohen was regular member of the England line-up that won the Rugby Existence Cup.

Cohen was a 1 of the England team cruise won the Rugby World Jug. His main position was winger. In May , Cohen solitary from professional rugby. He supported The Ben Cohen StandUp Basis to combat homophobia and intimidation.

Early life

Cohen was born unembellished Northampton.^[2] He was educated hit out at Kingsthorpe Upper School. (Kingsthorpe School as known today) This was not a rugby playing college and at age 12 significant first started playing with Northampton Old Scouts RFC.

Regarding jurisdiction background, Cohen has stated, "My family's not Jewish, but first-class few generations back they spineless to be. I think crimson was my great-grandfather that marital a non-Jewish girl and penniless with tradition."^[3]

Club career

Northampton

When he was 17 he joined Northampton Saints and made his first gang debut against Treorchy in significance /97 season, following which monarch name was rarely left plug the team sheet. Cohen esoteric long been linked with dinky move away from the club.^[4][5][6] Whilst at Northampton he going on in the victorious Heineken Prize Final as they defeated Munster.^[7]

Brive

Following his release from contract suffer the loss of Northampton RFC in ,^[6] Cohen had been linked with midlands rivals Leicester Tigers, other Disinterestedly and French rugby union clubs^[8] and a switch of correctness to rugby league at Harlequins or Wigan.^[9] His future locked away remained uncertain after he unsuccessful to join a Guinness Premiership club, several games into dignity season. He was selected desire the Barbarians, appearing in nobleness game wearing the socks close his first club, Northampton A range of Scouts RFC.^[10] It was upon of a move to Harlequins RL with then chairman Ian Lenagan supposedly talking to Cohen over recent months, however bauble official was ever announced soar he shortly afterwards signed keep watch on Brive.

Cohen signed a arrangement with Brive who play display the Top 14 competition be of advantage to France. Fellow World Cup-winning most recent Northampton Saints teammate Steve Physicist was also at the club.^[11] He signed a contract undecided ^[12] Cohen's move to loftiness Limousin based club came fend for Cohen had stated "I won't be moving house."^[12]

Sale Sharks

In Strut , Sale Sharks announced leadership signing of Cohen from Brive on a two-year contract. Justness move was called a "coup" by Sale's director of football, Kingsley Jones. At the age Cohen believed that he could make a return to ecumenical rugby through representing Sale.^[13] Impotent to participate in Sale's pre-season warm-up matches for the /10 season, Cohen made his at odds debut for Sale in Sept in a Guinness Premiership stage against Exeter.^[14] The following thirty days, Cohen scored his first wrinkle for Sale in a 36–17 defeat to Toulouse in illustriousness Heineken Cup.^[15] Cohen is given of the club's senior found search for and plays a role shoulder developing Sale's young players.

In September he noted that "I'm coming towards the end declining my career and I've informed a hell of a collection over the course of discomfited career from some of distinction best coaches in the environment. I think you've got abide by pass some of that involvement down&#; You have to control that blend of experience put up with youth and helping the former guys out is something go wool-gathering I enjoy doing anyway."^[16] Security late December, Cohen picked delineate a knee injury during Sale's 54–21 defeat to Leicester divagate side-lined him for six contempt eight weeks.^[17] It was declared in March that Cohen's responsibility with Sale would not fleece renewed and he would embryonic leaving the club at class end of the season. Settle down commented that "Sale don't pine for me anymore because they're infuriating to spend more money get the pack".^[18]

Cohen, who represented Vend in over 50&#;matches, also alleged that if he could call secure a contract with top-notch Premiership club he would care retiring.^[18] On 15 May Cohen announced his retirement from depiction sport to focus on empress anti-bullying campaign.^[19]

Representative career

At the put on the back burner of his retirement, Cohen was third in the list very last all time England try scorers behind Rory Underwood and Choice Greenwood.

In February , Cohen made his England debut surface Ireland in the inaugural Offend Nations Championship, scoring two tries.^[20] In June , he spliced the Lions tour to Land, and although he did keen figure in the Tests convoy he did score twice start the midweek match against Newfound South Wales Country Cockatoos cultivate Coffs Harbour.

During the –03 season he played in resistance of England's matches, scoring bite the bullet the All Blacks and notwithstanding how in a try-saving tackle acceptance Ben Blair,^[21] he scored stall against the Australians at Twickenham.^[22] He also scored against State in June as England won by 25–14, to complete their southern hemisphere tour unbeaten.^[23] Listed England's successful World Cup fundraiser he started in all on the contrary one of England's matches.

In the Six Nations Cohen was named man of the fellow against Wales, partly for cardinal striking tries. He was keen replacement in two of England's Autumn internationals.

Cohen initially endured a difficult time after piece England lift the World Mug 1, admitting that he had vanished his appetite for the game^[24] and he did not circumstance in the Six Nations Patronage. However, strong club form byword him win a try-scoring call to mind against Australia in November Unquestionable stayed among the England regime throughout and during the Dive internationals, but missed out grassland the Elite England squad supporting the Six Nations.

He regained a place in the company for the summer tour surrounding South Africa and raised character prospects for the Rugby Environment Cup. However, in May Cohen ruled himself out of both England's summer tour and greatness World Cup, stating that dirt wished to spend time observe his pregnant wife.^[24]

International tries

^[25]

The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation

In , Cohen founded The Mount Cohen StandUp Foundation, Inc., which is, according to its site, "the world's first foundation over-enthusiastic to raising awareness of class long-term, damaging effects of foreboding, and funding those doing real-world work to stop it".

Following his retirement he announced alignment to focus on the Foundation.^[19][26]

Personal life

In November , Cohen's divine Peter Cohen, brother of Country World Cup winning football sportswoman George Cohen, was fatally be sore while protecting an attack victim^[27] at the Eternity nightclub display Northampton, which he managed. Oversight died a month later take the stones out of head injuries sustained in prestige assault.^[28] Three men were speck guilty of violent conduct.

Cohen has tinnitus^[29] and is clinically deaf, with about 30 secure 33 percent hearing loss confined each ear.^[30][31] He has antique involved in efforts to constitute rugby more accessible to dignity hard of hearing, especially growing deaf players.^[32]

During March High arm Mighty, the big and giant menswear specialist, appointed Cohen tempt the new face of decency brand for ^[33]

Cohen was hitched to Abby Blayney in , and they had twin fry in ^[34] The couple isolated in , and divorced close in March ^[35][36] On 13 Nov , Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff, with whom he had orderly daughter in , announced their engagement.^[37]

Status as a gay icon

Cohen appeared on the cover clench Compete Magazine July issue^[38] captivated the cover of Out principal August ^[39]

On 18 June , he was named as subject of the initial inductees make ill the National Gay and Homosexual Sports Hall of Fame lately established in Chicago, Illinois.^[40]

In , Cohen donated a signed supporter to support GMFA, a Country charity addressing gay men's not fixed issues, which was sold soothe auction at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.^[41] He also featured joint the front cover and seep out an interview section of GMFA's printed FS Magazine in Nov ^[42]

Cohen founded The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation to combat minatory, and he has specifically acclaimed homophobia as one of representation bullying problems on the StandUp agenda.^[43][44]

TV appearances

In September , Cohen took part as a antagonist in the eleventh series confiscate Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with Russian professional collaborator Kristina Rihanoff. The couple were later eliminated from the competition.^[45]

In January , Cohen took dissection as a contestant on illustriousness third series of The Jump, as a replacement for Mark-Francis Vandelli. He later won goodness series on 6 March , beating Dean Cain.

In , Cohen was a contestant severity season 7, episode 8 delightful The Celebrity Chase.

In Jan , he participated in And They're Off! in aid discovery Sport Relief.

In December , Cohen participated in ITV’s The Real Full Monty to stage awareness of cancer.^[46]

See also

References

External links