By Jim Buzinski

English rugby star Ben Cohen, now playing professionally in France, made news late last year when he announced plans for a night in London to honor his gay fans. The event will be held at the Dorchester on May 28.

We sent Cohen, 29, some questions germane to his gay fans and he took time out to answer all of them.

Outsports: How did the idea for a gay fan appreciation night come about?
Ben Cohen: Over the past few years, since we won the World Cup in 2003 really, I have been receiving loads of letters and e-mails from guys. Some of them were very graphic!

At first I didn’t think much of it, but then I thought, well, if these people are taking time to write to me and are asking for more pictures etc. and they come and watch me play, then I need to give them the support they give me. So I just thought I would take notice of what they were asking for and acknowledge the fact that they were there and supporting me. I have also noticed that they seem to be very loyal and support me through the bad times as well as the good.

Outsports: What has been the reaction to the idea so far? Have you been surprised by the reaction?
Ben Cohen: I just noticed that I was getting more attention. My website stats were shooting up and when I looked where the links were coming from, I could see that 90% of them were from gay blog sites. The biggest surprise I got was knocking David Beckham off the top slot in the Sunday Times Gay Icon list. I was gob smacked quite frankly.

Outsports: What has been the most unusual reaction you have gotten?
Ben Cohen: I think I have just been really surprised at the number of gay men who are supporting me and also the fact that they are more interested in me and not just what I am doing on the [rugby] pitch.

Outsports: What has been the reaction from your teammates and others in the rugby world?
Ben Cohen: They are pretty cool really. It is a really busy time in rugby at the moment with European as well league games and of course the Six Nations [tournament] is about to start in a few weeks so we mainly talk about rugby. I have just started to play for a French Team, Brive, and I don’t think they really know too much about my fan base. I haven’t quite mastered the language yet so I am not really sure what they are saying most of the time!!

Outsports: Is elite-level rugby ready for an openly gay player?
Ben Cohen: I am just one man with my own views. My impression is that it would be fine to be able to ‘come out’ in rugby. Most rugby players are cool about it and think that people should be allowed to live their lives how they want to, but I can’t speak for everyone.

The key thing is the individual needs to be able to take the pressure of top-level rugby and the knowledge that his teammates know he is gay. I don’t know for sure, but my feelings are that if he were completely open about it, after the first bit of banter, things would calm down. We all take banter all the time about different things. It’s a bloke thing, isn’t it?

Outsports: If an active player were to come out, where would the most opposition come from: fellow players? Fans? Media?
Ben Cohen: Would there be opposition? This is the 21st century. Or would [the question] be where would the most interest come from? The media I would suggest. The players and fans would be more interested in his standard of playing I would suggest.

Outsports: Have you ever had a teammate who you knew was gay and how did you come about this knowledge?
Be Cohen: No, I haven’t.

Outsports: Do you have gay friends or relatives and what has their reaction been?
Ben Cohen: One of my aunties is a lesbian and lives with a female partner. We are all laid back about it because it has always been the same. I grew up in an open-minded environment because my Dad worked in the nightclub industry, so it has never been much of a shock to meet up with a gay guy. I am more interested in the personality of the person than what their sexuality is, and whether we can have a good conversation. I like a good chat.

Outsports: A fun question: Imagine for a second that you were gay. Which player (current or former) would you ask out on a date and why?

Ben Cohen: Sorry, can’t do that, but I can see why people think that someone like Jonny [Wilkinson] is attractive. You would have to be blind not too. He is a good-looking guy and keeps himself fit. He’s also a really nice person, which is what really matters.

Outsports: What input did your wife have in picking the calendar photos?

Ben Cohen: Not a lot really, I tend to keep my family very separate from my work. She is always interested in what I am up to but on this occasion she was pretty tied up looking after our newborn twins so didn’t really get involved.

Outsports: How long do you plan on playing and what are your plans for after your career ends?

Ben Cohen: I probably have about 5 years playing time left and I want to achieve as much as possible in that time. I am enjoying the new challenge in France and am working hard to improve my rugby and consistently get over that try line. After rugby? I have a number of business projects that I am involved with so I will be helping to develop those and see where things take me then. I may get involved with some coaching as I would like to give something back to English rugby, but that may be on a voluntary basis. So, my plans are not concrete yet but my focus is on my rugby right now.

With millions of hits on his website each month and pole position at the top of the Gay Icon list in the Sunday Times, Ben’s committee are wise enough to realise that they need to give all his uniquely diverse fanbase the opportunity to get involved.

The Dorchester event is unique – a first amongst rugby testimonials. Guests are promised a whole host of treats and surprises making this event a real ‘one off’ and not to be missed. Ben Cohen fans need to make sure that they reserve their places quickly as they are expected to snapped up fast

‘BENediction’ is one of 6 events the committee are staging this year but this is the only one which focuses solely on the hunky, big hitting winger himself. Ben has already carried out radio interviews with Gaydar Nation Radio, an interview and photo shoot with Gay Times and attended a signing at Prowler in Soho for the 2008 Testimonial Calendar, The Real Ben Cohen. This man is open minded, willing to accept diversity and carries the belief that everyone should lead their lives the way they see fit.

Ben is married with twin daughters and currently lives in France. Following an eleven year career with Northampton Saints, he now runs out as number 11 for C A Brive in the Limoges region of France. He is a 21st Century man with a big heart, a dashing smile and a relaxed, friendly manner. A winner all round!

The Ben Cohen Testimonial Committee have chosen to support Orchid Male Cancer and Northamptonshire and Warwickshire Air Ambulance for this celebratory year.

Full details of the event and tickets are available on http://www.ben-cohen.com

Since 2008, the student rugby playerd have created a cheeky calendar each year. I have already talked about it and shown mutliple pics in the following post: http://french-rugby-team.com/england-france-rugby-sheffield-hallam-university-mens-rugby-union-club-calendar/

You can order the calender directly from the club’s website: http://www.shurugby.com/

Here are some pics form the 2008 SHU Rugby Nude Calendar:

 Click here to order it now from Amazon.fr.  Make your friends envious. Make your little sister drool. Get the DVD!

I think that this DIEVX DV STADE DVD is a great treat, because:

- It is cheaper than the calendar itself

- You get to see A LOT MORE than in the paper calendar

- The DVD is smaller than the calendar, so it is easier for your little sister to hide it under her pillow at her all-girl boarding school

- Shipping is fast and ordering is secure

 
What’s on the DVD?

- 5th edition od the DVD of the Making Of the « DIEVX DV STADE » 2008 calendar (a.k.a. Naked French Rugby Players or Locker Room Nudes)

- 100% in color

- The Stade Français Rugby Players and their guests stand naked in front of the camera of famours American photographer Steven Klein.

- Among the players, you will get to see Christophe Dominici, David Skrela, Rémy Martin, Dimitri Szarzewski, Clément Poitrenaud, Vincent Clerc, Nicolas Jeanjean, Ignacio Corleto, Sergio Parisse, Mirco & Mauro Bergamasco, Geoffroy Messina, Julien Arias, Marcello Bosch, and Loïc Jacquet.

Video clip from the 2008 DVD of the making of the Dieux du Stade calendar

Congratulations to both teams on the game, I really enjoyed it.

As a Frenchman, I know what a rugby match where England is playing is usually like and this is just what I was expecting: you get Jonny Wilkinson, devoted English rugby fans, the British Premier and Princes William and Harry. Of yeah, and by the end of the game, you are able to sing Sweet Charriot just like any self-respecting English fan.

Rugby is a bit special as fans from opposing sides tend to fraternize much more than they would do in football (soccer) games. So, you usually get to learn colorful songs in English and French (and Gaelic) after several games.

South African rugby fans were there too. Quite a few of them had actually traveled from London where they reside. Yet, they were not the only ones rooting for South Africa.

Quite a few French guys and girls were quite happy that South Africa won. First, it was the best team in this year’s competition. Second, the English had beaten the French in the previous match, so obviously there was some Schadenfreude in the air. Had it been England vs. New Zealand, I would have rooted for the English, because they would have the worthy underdog.

It was funny to hear an English fan shout at us : "Yo, French people, stop booing England, You should be supporting us, You are Europeans, not Africans !". Being taught about being more Europhile by an English person, this was hilarious ! (no hate mail, sense of humour needed here).
It’s OK, I did hum Sweet Charriot as well 

The English team was good; the score was really close for a long time. Cueto was not lucky with his knee touching the line and Jonny Wilkinson was still pretty impressive.

My French huguenots cousins were there playing for South Africa : Du Plessis, Du Preez, André, Jacques, François, etc. 

Montgomery and Habana for South Africa were brilliant.

Jonny Wilikinson vs. François Steyn

Andy Gomarsall  gets the ball

South African Wall

Getting upclose and personal

Cueto’s knee hit the field first

Habana, brilliant player

Percy Montgomery wants to hi to his Mum through the TV camera

South Africans impressed by Jonny Wilkinson

Prince William and Prince Harry roor for their team

Prince William and Prince Harry worried

Captain John Smit and Presidents M’beki and Sarkozy

Jonny Wilkinson’s sadness

Ben Cohen is a great player, with skills, charisma and keen on attracting sponsoring contracts.

He has played in the national English rugby team and was a player of the Northampton Saints. Yet, at 29, he seems to want to retire from rugby. For instance, he chose to sit to sit out this year"s rugby world cup in order to take care of his wife. She has just delivered 2 twin girls.

Big Ben Cohen was a great wing man and was smart enough to use his popularity in a nice way. For instance, he is part of the Men in Pants association that fights againt testicular cancer.

His numerous ads for the Sloggi brand of unserwear has also helped make him a popular "face" on the walls of Britain

Ben Cohen has just released his own 2008 calendar (See A Cause des Garçons for details).

On October 25, the calendar will be released. The proceeds will go to an NGO helping out Chinese children living in the streets.

Here is the cover of the calendar:

In order to foster teamwork, the managers of the South African rugby team submitted their players to strange physical training.

These very rare photos show some of the things that the Springboks had to go through:

- Cross an ice-cold stream, naked, while hanging to a raft
- Stand in the water, naked, at night, for hours, while singing the national anthem
- Jump fully clothed into the water, from a helicopter, 30 feet high above the water level.

All this happened in a military camp called Kamp Staaldraad ("Camp Barbwire").

For the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the training was less brutal and the team has now made it to the final game (against England).

Chabal will face the English team this weekend. He knows a few them quite well: Chabal plays in the UK, for the Sale Sharks. His nickname is Seabass.

Here is the picture that very francophile Sun published this morning. Its tiltle was "French Monster Eats Babies".

Well, in the meantime, the English team is busy rehearsing a scene that they will play after meeting Chabal: healing their bruises an ice bath (see picture).

This reminded me of a video of a respectable English rugby club (Lincoln RUFC, established in 1882) where new players had to go through a funny initiation rite: they had to undress, get out of the bus, and run back to the club house. To make it more fun, they obviously has to do it through town.

Notice how fast the first one is going. This is a guy you want to see on a field.