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Gavin Henson looking to be in business before the World Cup

Gavin Henson is moving into the pub trade after being released by Dragons (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Former Wales star Gavin Henson is hoping to be back in business before the Rugby World Cup… running a newly-bought pub in a tiny Welsh village with a population of less than 800 people.

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It was confirmed on Friday that the 2005 British and Irish Lions player was among the nine-strong contingent of players being released by Dragons, the struggling PRO14 outfit who are set to appoint ex-England International Dean Ryan as their new coach.

Henson’s exit from Rodney Parade is expected to bring the curtain down on the 37-year-old’s full-time professional rugby career which has faded away with a whimper, the out-half appearing just three times this season for the fourth-ranked Welsh region.

It is unclear if he will attempt to continue playing at semi-professional level, possibly in the Welsh Premiership, but what is certain is that Henson is planning for the future away from the game.

Henson reportedly attended a one-day training course on becoming a pub licensee last week and was required to pass an exam after he purchased the freehold of the Fox and Hounds in St Brides Major, a facility that closed last year.

Builders have been busy renovating the pub which is one of only two in a village which recorded a population of 769 people in the last government census.

St Brides Major is near where Henson grew up before going on to have a circuitous club career, the Welsh international featuring at Swansea, Ospreys, Saracens, Toulon, Cardiff Blues, London Welsh, Bath and Bristol before Bernard Jackman gave him a chance at Dragons that resulted in a total of 18 appearances in two seasons at a club that sacked their coach last December.

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Henson’s roster of clubs could have been even longer had he not taken a 21-month sabbatical from playing following the 2009 Six Nations, a lay-off that resulted in him featuring in three reality television series – 71 Degrees North, Strictly Come Dancing and The Bachelor.

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JW 2 hours ago
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Agree re Lynagh.


Disagree Beaver got it wrong. Blues made that look easy. It might be a brawn over brains picture though? More in the last point, but, and this may have changed by player selection, the Reds were very lucky this game. Tele’a should not have been red carded as Ryan landed on his shoulder, and both Tate and Jock (was it) should have been yellowed carded for their offenses in stopping tries. We also had a try dissallowed by going back 10 phases in play. We all should have learned after the RWC that that is against the rules. So straight away on this simple decisions alone the result changes to go in the Blues favour, away from home and playing fairly poorly. The sleeping giant if you will. I didn’t agree with the Blues take either tbh, but to flip it around and say it’s the Reds instead is completely inaccurate (though a good side no doubt you have to give them a chance).


And you’re also riding the wave of defense wins matches a bit much. Aside from Dre’s tackling on Rieko I didn’t see anything in that match other than a bit of tiny goal line defending. I think if you role on the tap for another second you see the ball put placed for the try (not that I jump to agree with Eklund purely because he was adamant), and in general those just get scored more often than not. They are doing something good though stopping line breaks even if it is the Blues (and who also got over the line half a dozen times), I did not expect to be greeted with that stat looking at the game.

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