Ben Cohen (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Christopher "Ben" Cohen, MBE
(born 14 September 1978) is a former England rugby union
international. He began his professional career with Northampton Saints
in 1996; in 2007 he moved to France to represent Brive
before returning to England two years later to join Sale Sharks
. In May 2011, Cohen retired from professional rugby, and will focus on The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation he created to combat homophobia and bullying.
. He was educated at Kingsthorpe Upper School, Northampton. This was not a rugby playing school and at age 12 he first started playing with Northampton Old Scouts RFC
Regarding his background, Cohen has stated “My family’s not Jewish... but a few generations back they used to be. I think it was my great grandfather that married a non-Jewish girl and broke with tradition.”
In November 2000, Cohen's father Peter Cohen, brother of English World Cup winning football player George Cohen
, was fatally injured while protecting an attack victim at the Eternity nightclub in Northampton which Peter Cohen managed. He died a month later from head injuries sustained in the assault. Three men were found guilty of violent conduct.
Cohen is married to Abbie Cohen (Blayney), with twin children. He is clinically deaf, with about 30 to 33 percent hearing loss in each ear, and has been involved in efforts to make rugby more accessible to the hard of hearing, especially younger deaf players.
and made his first team debut against Treorchy
in the 1996/97 season, following which his name was rarely left off the team sheet. Cohen had long been linked with a move away from the club.
, other English and French rugby union clubs and a switch of codes to rugby league at Harlequins or Wigan
. His future had remained uncertain after he failed to join a Guinness Premiership
club, several games into the season. He was selected for the Barbarians
, appearing in the game wearing the socks of his first club, Northampton Old Scouts RFC. It was rumoured of a move to Harlequins RL with then chairman Ian Lenagan
supposedly talking to Cohen over recent months, however nothing official was ever announced and he shortly afterwards signed for Brive.
Cohen signed a deal with Brive
who play in the Top 14 competition in France. Fellow 2003 World Cup
-winning and Northampton Saints
team-mate Steve Thompson
was also at the club. He signed a contract until 2009. Cohen's move to the Limousin
based club comes after Cohen had stated "I won't be moving house."
announced the signing of Cohen from Brive
on a two-year contract. The move was called a "coup" by Sale's director of rugby, Kingsley Jones. At the time Cohen believed that he could make a return to international rugby through representing Sale. Unable to participate in Sale's pre-season warm-up matches for the 2009/10 season, Cohen made his competitive debut for Sale in September 2009 in a Guinness Premiership
fixture against Exeter
. The following month, Cohen scored his first try for Sale in a 36–17 defeat to Toulouse
in the Heineken Cup
. Cohen is one of the club's senior players and plays a role in developing Sale's young players. In September 2010 he noted that "I'm coming towards the end of my career and I've learnt a hell of a lot over the course of my career from some of the best coaches in the world. I think you've got to pass some of that experience down ... You have to have that blend of experience and youth and helping the younger guys out is something that I enjoy doing anyway." In late December, Cohen picked up a knee injury during Sale's 54–21 defeat to Leicester the side-lined him for six to eight weeks. It was announced in March that Cohen's contract with Sale would not be renewed and he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. He commented that "Sale don't want me anymore because they're trying to spend more money in the pack". Cohen, who represented Sale in over 50 matches, also said that if he could not secure a contract with a Premiership club he would consider retiring. On 15 May 2011 Cohen announced his retirement from the sport to focus on his anti-bullying campaign.
and Will Greenwood
in the list of all time England try scorers.
In February 2000, Cohen made his England
debut against Ireland
in the inaugural Six Nations Championship
, scoring two tries. In June 2001, he joined the Lions tour to Australia, and although he did not figure in the Tests series he did score twice in the midweek match against New South Wales Country Cockatoos at Coffs Harbour
.
During the 2002–03 season he played in all of England
's matches, scoring against the All Blacks
and putting in a try-saving tackle on Ben Blair
, he scored twice against the Australians
at Twickenham
. He also scored against Australia
in June 2003 as England won by 25–14, to complete their southern hemisphere tour unbeaten. In England's successful World Cup
campaign he started in all but one of England's matches.
In the 2004 Six Nations
Cohen was named man of the match against Wales
, partly for two striking tries. He was a replacement in two of England's 2004 Autumn internationals.
Cohen initially endured a difficult time after helping England lift the World Cup, admitting that he had lost his appetite for the game and he did not feature in the 2005 Six Nations Championship
. However, strong club form saw him win a try-scoring recall against Australia in November 2005. He stayed among the England setup throughout 2006 and during the Autumn internationals, but missed out on the Elite England squad for the 2007 Six Nations.
He regained a place in the squad for the summer tour of South Africa and raised the prospects for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. However, in May 2007 Cohen ruled himself out of both England's summer tour and the World Cup, stating that he wished to spend time with his pregnant wife.
. He often speaks favourably of his gay following, ousted David Beckham as Gay Times' sports personality of the year in 2008, and came second as their sexiest man of the year. Among other Ben Cohen merchandise, he has released calenders since 2009 in which he is often shirtless. Ben appeared on the cover of Attitude
s October 2009 issue.
In 2010, Cohen donated a signed jockstrap
to support GMFA
, a British charity addressing gay men's health issues, which was sold at auction at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern
. He also featured on the front cover and in an interview section of GMFA's printed FS Magazine in November 2010.
Cohen founded The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation to combat homophobia and bullying. Following his retirement he announced plans to focus on the Foundation.
During March 2011 High and Mighty, the big and tall menswear specialist, appointed Cohen as the new face of the brand for 2011.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 14 September 1978) is a former England rugby union
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
international. He began his professional career with Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
in 1996; in 2007 he moved to France to represent Brive
CA Brive
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...
before returning to England two years later to join Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
. In May 2011, Cohen retired from professional rugby, and will focus on The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation he created to combat homophobia and bullying.
Background
Cohen was born in NorthamptonNorthampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
. He was educated at Kingsthorpe Upper School, Northampton. This was not a rugby playing school and at age 12 he first started playing with Northampton Old Scouts RFC
Regarding his background, Cohen has stated “My family’s not Jewish... but a few generations back they used to be. I think it was my great grandfather that married a non-Jewish girl and broke with tradition.”
In November 2000, Cohen's father Peter Cohen, brother of English World Cup winning football player George Cohen
George Cohen
George Reginald Cohen MBE was the right back for England in the side which won the 1966 World Cup. He is the uncle of Rugby Union World Cup winner, Ben Cohen.-Football career:...
, was fatally injured while protecting an attack victim at the Eternity nightclub in Northampton which Peter Cohen managed. He died a month later from head injuries sustained in the assault. Three men were found guilty of violent conduct.
Cohen is married to Abbie Cohen (Blayney), with twin children. He is clinically deaf, with about 30 to 33 percent hearing loss in each ear, and has been involved in efforts to make rugby more accessible to the hard of hearing, especially younger deaf players.
Northampton
When he was 17 he joined Northampton SaintsNorthampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
and made his first team debut against Treorchy
Treorchy RFC
Treorchy Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Treorchy, in the Rhondda Valley, Wales. They formed in 1886 and by 1891 were a strong voice in the Welsh Football Union and were playing in the Rhondda Division...
in the 1996/97 season, following which his name was rarely left off the team sheet. Cohen had long been linked with a move away from the club.
Brive
Following his release from contract from Northampton RFC in 2007, Cohen had been linked with midlands rivals Leicester TigersLeicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
, other English and French rugby union clubs and a switch of codes to rugby league at Harlequins or Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
. His future had remained uncertain after he failed to join a Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
club, several games into the season. He was selected for the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
, appearing in the game wearing the socks of his first club, Northampton Old Scouts RFC. It was rumoured of a move to Harlequins RL with then chairman Ian Lenagan
Ian Lenagan
Ian Lenagan is a Business entrepreneur, theatre producer and shareholder of Harlequins RL & Oxford United FC as well as chairman and owner of Wigan Warriors-Early life:...
supposedly talking to Cohen over recent months, however nothing official was ever announced and he shortly afterwards signed for Brive.
Cohen signed a deal with Brive
CA Brive
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...
who play in the Top 14 competition in France. Fellow 2003 World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup Final
The 2003 Rugby World Cup Final was won by England who defeated Australia 20 to 17. The match went into extra time, in which Jonny Wilkinson kicked a drop goal to seal England's win.-Path to the final:...
-winning and Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
team-mate Steve Thompson
Steve Thompson (rugby player)
Steve Thompson MBE is a rugby union player who plays at hooker for London Wasps and England.He is England's most capped hooker, and has played for the British and Irish Lions.-Northampton Saints:...
was also at the club. He signed a contract until 2009. Cohen's move to the Limousin
Limousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
based club comes after Cohen had stated "I won't be moving house."
Sale Sharks
In March 2009, Sale SharksSale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
announced the signing of Cohen from Brive
CA Brive
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on...
on a two-year contract. The move was called a "coup" by Sale's director of rugby, Kingsley Jones. At the time Cohen believed that he could make a return to international rugby through representing Sale. Unable to participate in Sale's pre-season warm-up matches for the 2009/10 season, Cohen made his competitive debut for Sale in September 2009 in a Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
fixture against Exeter
Exeter Chiefs
Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White ....
. The following month, Cohen scored his first try for Sale in a 36–17 defeat to Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
in the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
. Cohen is one of the club's senior players and plays a role in developing Sale's young players. In September 2010 he noted that "I'm coming towards the end of my career and I've learnt a hell of a lot over the course of my career from some of the best coaches in the world. I think you've got to pass some of that experience down ... You have to have that blend of experience and youth and helping the younger guys out is something that I enjoy doing anyway." In late December, Cohen picked up a knee injury during Sale's 54–21 defeat to Leicester the side-lined him for six to eight weeks. It was announced in March that Cohen's contract with Sale would not be renewed and he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. He commented that "Sale don't want me anymore because they're trying to spend more money in the pack". Cohen, who represented Sale in over 50 matches, also said that if he could not secure a contract with a Premiership club he would consider retiring. On 15 May 2011 Cohen announced his retirement from the sport to focus on his anti-bullying campaign.
Representative career
Cohen is the 10th-highest point scorer in England rugby history and third behind Rory UnderwoodRory Underwood
Rory Underwood MBE is a former English rugby union footballer who played wing for, most notably, Leicester Tigers and Bedford. He represented England and the British Lions and is a former Royal Air Force pilot....
and Will Greenwood
Will Greenwood
William John Heaton "Will" Greenwood, MBE is an English former rugby union footballer of the 1990s and 2000s.-Career:...
in the list of all time England try scorers.
In February 2000, Cohen made his England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
debut against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
in the inaugural Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, scoring two tries. In June 2001, he joined the Lions tour to Australia, and although he did not figure in the Tests series he did score twice in the midweek match against New South Wales Country Cockatoos at Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
-History:By the early 1900s, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast Railway Line, the only way to transport large items of heavy but low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. This meant sawmillers on the North Coast...
.
During the 2002–03 season he played in all of England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
's matches, scoring against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
and putting in a try-saving tackle on Ben Blair
Ben Blair
Ben Austin Blair is a rugby union footballer who plays at a full-back for the Cardiff Blues, and previously played six games for the All Blacks. On his All Blacks debut in 2001, he scored 37 points against Ireland A at Ravenhill in Belfast, however as this was not a test match he was not capped...
, he scored twice against the Australians
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
. He also scored against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in June 2003 as England won by 25–14, to complete their southern hemisphere tour unbeaten. In England's successful World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
campaign he started in all but one of England's matches.
In the 2004 Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
Cohen was named man of the match against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, partly for two striking tries. He was a replacement in two of England's 2004 Autumn internationals.
Cohen initially endured a difficult time after helping England lift the World Cup, admitting that he had lost his appetite for the game and he did not feature in the 2005 Six Nations Championship
2005 Six Nations Championship
The 2005 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the sixth series of the Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
. However, strong club form saw him win a try-scoring recall against Australia in November 2005. He stayed among the England setup throughout 2006 and during the Autumn internationals, but missed out on the Elite England squad for the 2007 Six Nations.
He regained a place in the squad for the summer tour of South Africa and raised the prospects for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. However, in May 2007 Cohen ruled himself out of both England's summer tour and the World Cup, stating that he wished to spend time with his pregnant wife.
Status as a gay icon
Off the field he is considered a gay iconGay icon
A gay icon is a public figure who is embraced by many within :lesbian, :gay, :bisexual and :transgender communities...
. He often speaks favourably of his gay following, ousted David Beckham as Gay Times' sports personality of the year in 2008, and came second as their sexiest man of the year. Among other Ben Cohen merchandise, he has released calenders since 2009 in which he is often shirtless. Ben appeared on the cover of Attitude
Attitude (magazine)
Attitude is a British gay lifestyle magazine owned by Vitality Publishing. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and a digital download for the iPad and iPhone via the App Store. The first issue appeared in May 1994....
s October 2009 issue.
In 2010, Cohen donated a signed jockstrap
Jockstrap
A jockstrap is an undergarment designed for supporting the male genitalia during sports or other vigorous physical activity...
to support GMFA
GMFA
GMFA is a British health promotion charitable organization that campaigns to improve gay men’s health...
, a British charity addressing gay men's health issues, which was sold at auction at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern
Royal Vauxhall Tavern
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is a gay nightclub in London. It is also known as the RVT. It is South London's oldest surviving gay venue .-Early history:...
. He also featured on the front cover and in an interview section of GMFA's printed FS Magazine in November 2010.
Cohen founded The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation to combat homophobia and bullying. Following his retirement he announced plans to focus on the Foundation.
During March 2011 High and Mighty, the big and tall menswear specialist, appointed Cohen as the new face of the brand for 2011.
External links
- Official website
- Sale Sharks Profile
- Ben Cohen’s international stats at Scrum.com Ben Cohen’s stats at CA Brive Corrèze