Now Henson plays football
GAVIN Henson swapped the No 12 jersey for No 7 on Sunday morning, but he was not operating at openside flanker.
The double Grand Slam winner changed sports to turn out for Sunday League side Super Fox United at St Brides Major.
GAVIN HENSON swapped the No 12 jersey for No 7 on Sunday morning, but he was not operating at openside flanker.
The double Grand Slam winner, who was released by the Dragons earlier this year, changed sports to turn out for Sunday League football side Super Fox United in their clash with Cross Keys FC at St Brides Major.
It was revealed in May that Gavin is to open a pub in the area, with builders working on the Fox and Hounds after the 37-yearold bought the freehold for the establishment, which closed last year.
The name Super Fox United, a team set up just three weeks ago and made up of a collection of Henson’s friends from the area, is a nod to the pub.
And while the St Brides Major Sports Pavilion might be a far cry from the Principality Stadium stage, there was still a small gathering there on Sunday.
Super Fox secretary and Gavin’s best friend Jamie Griffiths told us: “Gavin misses the competitive life, so he said, ‘Let’s start up a team, from the ground up’.
“We’re starting at the very bottom, we’re losing to the worst teams in the league, we got a thumping today and a thumping last week, so we don’t think we’re going to take on the world, but it’s a bit of fun and keeps us all focused.”
Among those cheering on Gavin in the Bridgend and District Sunday League fixture was his fiancee Katie Wilson Mould.
They were engaged following his proposal in South Africa last November, and Katie watched from the touchline as her husband-to-be’s team fell to a 6-0 defeat.
“Gavin isn’t a footballer at all,” Jamie added. “He’s played rugby all his life. He runs around like a headless chicken but, to be fair, he’s a quick learner.
“You would never think he’s never played football. He’s a huge tactician, he does tactical videos before every game, I think he thinks we are playing in the Premier League! He’s bought a whiteboard with little markers and sends WhatsApp videos out about how we are all meant to play. Bear in mind some of us are 40 – our striker Nick is 60.”
It is as yet unknown whether Gavin’s rugby career is over.
In July, Channel 4 programme Hunted posted images of Gavin on their social media channels asking for sightings of him for the celebrity edition of the show.
Given his upcoming appearance on Hunted and now Sunday’s amateur football outing, Gavin does appear to be distancing himself from a professional rugby return.
Jamie, however, insists his friend still believes he can cut it at the top level.
“I don’t want to say he’s retiring at all,” he said, “because I think in his mind he would go to the World Cup.
“He’s never going to say he’s not playing rugby, he’ll always have a look at it.”
Ahead of the game, Gavin, who was named to play on the left wing, was in a bullish mood.
After the Super Fox line-up was posted on social media, his direct opponent, Cross Keys rightback Jake Thompson, told him he would have “no chance”.
Gavin responded: “I’m on the left wing pal. No sleep for you Saturday night!”
But despite his presence, the home side were outgunned and fell to defeat.
Jamie, with his tongue firmly in his cheek, puts that down to teams fielding their best players once they get wind that the rugby star is in the opposing XI.
So has Gavin been on the end of some tough tackling?
“Yeah,” Jamie confirmed.
“I’m almost certain that we are having to play the best XI that any of these teams have got because when they know he’s playing, they are playing all their best players.
“They’re also mega up for it, for a Sunday League team, but to be honest it’s all good fun.”