Gavin Henson

Rugger
name = Gavin Henson


caption = Henson's book "My Grand Slam Year"
birthname = Gavin Henson
nickname = Gav
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1982|2|1
placeofbirth = Bridgend, Wales
dateofdeath =
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height = height|ft=6|in=0
weight = 14 st 11 lb (94 kg)
ru_position = Rugbycentre|capital=yes, fly-half, fullback
ru_amateuryears =
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ru_nationalteam = Wales
British and Irish Lions
ru_nationalyears = 2001-
2005
ru_nationalcaps = 28
1
ru_nationalpoints = (130)
(0)
ru_ntupdate = 01:36, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
ru_clubyears = ?-2003
2003-
ru_proclubs = Swansea
Ospreys
ru_clubcaps = ?
85
ru_clubpoints = (?)
(773)
ru_clubupdate = 01:36, 3 December 2007 (UTC)
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other = yes
occupation =
family =
spouse =
children = 1
relatives =
school = St Brides Major Primary School,Brynteg Comprehensive School
university =

Gavin Lloyd Henson (born February 1, 1982 in Bridgend) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for the Ospreys regional side in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup, and the national team. He attracted much media attention as part of a Wales team which achieved Grand Slams in the Six Nations Championship in 2005 and 2008. He has also played for the British and Irish Lions, touring in 2005 to New Zealand but has never appeared at a World Cup. He has a daughter, Ruby Megan Henson with Welsh songstress and girlfriend Charlotte Church. Church and Henson are expecting their second child in January 2009.

Henson has played in a variety of positions including fly-half, fullback and inside centre. After an extended spell out of the national side, including missing the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he was recalled by caretaker coach Nigel Davies, being included in the squad to play against South Africa.

Career

Gavin Henson's father, Alan Henson, captained Heol-y-Cyw and Maesteg, so rugby was in the family. Gavin played rugby for his school, Brynteg Comprehensive, in Bridgend, Wales. Despite his Bridgend origins, he joined Swansea RFC at the age of 18. He was promptly the International Rugby Board's Young Player of the Year in 2001. cite web
title = Past IRB Awards winners
publisher = IRB (International Rugby Board)
url = http://www.awards.irb.com/PAST+WINNERS/
accessdate = 2007-04-22] During which time he had started paving the way to his international career by signing for the Wales A team. He made his international debut for Wales during June 2001 in a Test against Japan, coming off the bench. He then started his next match, at fly-half in a game against Romania in September. In November of that year he played for Wales A against Uruguay, scoring his first try in an international.

In 2003 regional rugby was launched in Wales, and Henson now played for the Ospreys. He made his debut for the Ospreys off the bench on September 9, 2003 in a match against Ulster, scoring two tries and kicking both a penalty and conversion to score 15 points. He was elevated to fly-half for the subsequent match against the Newport-Gwent Dragons, scoring 14 points from kicks in that game as well. Henson return to the international field for Wales in 2003. He played twice, though he was on the bench for another two Tests. He was capped against both the All Blacks and Romania.

Henson came to wider notice in 2004 with a series of excellent performances in Wales' autumn internationals against New Zealand and South Africa. Henson became a firm part of the Welsh starting lineup, and after playing at fullback in the second Test against Argentina and the first against South Africa, he remained in the centres for the remainder of the season.

He remained on the team for the 2005 Six Nations championship. In Wales' opening fixture in February, at home to England, Henson gave an effective performance culminating in a successful 44 m penalty kick and much media attention. [ [http://www.planet-rugby.com/Tournaments/Six_Nations/story_41381.shtml 2005 Six Nations Wales-England match report] : "Planet Rugby" website] [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/02/06/srwale06.xml 2005 Six Nations Wales-England match report] : "Daily Telegraph" newspaper.]

Back in his club side, Henson was part of a team which took the Celtic League cup: in the deciding match (Ospreys v Edinburgh, 26 March 2005), he scored 24 of his side's 29 points. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/4373873.stm Ospreys-Edinburgh Celtic League final match report] BBC news 29th March, 2005]

In the (northern hemisphere) summer of the same year, Henson was a member of the Lions tour of New Zealand. He was "devastated not to be playing" in the first Test [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,1606838,00.html Gavin Henson interviewed by JPR Williams] interview in "The Observer" newspaper, November 6 2005] . When he did get selected for the second test he was unfortunately injured and could not play in the final test. A groin injury delayed his return to club rugby in the autumn of the year. Within months of his Ospreys return, Henson was cited (reported following a game for events during it) for kicking and elbowing an opponent in a game against Leicester on December 19 2005. He was found not guilty of the kicking offence, but guilty of the elbowing. He was initially suspended for ten weeks and two days: this period was reduced on appeal to seven weeks. Following this suspension and a single game at club level, he returned to international rugby against Ireland but did not shine. [ [http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/article348198.ece Henson left 'suicidal' by débâcle in Dublin] "The Independent" newspaper, 28 February 2006]

In October 2005 Henson's "My Grand Slam Year" (ISBN 0-00-721686-6), was published. Comments about the Lions tour and remarks about other players ensured rapid publicity and Henson had to apologise to his team-mates. [ [http://www.wru.co.uk/114_6133.php Henson says sorry] Welsh Rugby Union, 7 November 2005. He has now been selected for Wales in their training party for the 2007 Rugby World Cup]

He was not selected in the Wales squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup by then coach Gareth Jenkins, after failing to prove his fitness after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.

Henson was recalled to the Welsh Squad by caretaker coach Nigel Davies, to play against South Africa shortly after the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He then started for of all of Wales 2008 Six Nations Championship games, Wales then went on to win the Grandslam for the second time in four seasons. Henson is yet to lose a Six Nations game that he has started.

Henson was named man of the match in the EDF cup Semi Final on March 22 2008 when the Ospreys beat Saracens 30-3.

Off the field

His relationship with girlfriend Charlotte Church, with whom he has a baby daughter, Ruby Megan, [ [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20013730,00.html Charlotte Church 'Delighted' By Pregnancy - Pregnancy, Charlotte Church : People.com ] ] is well covered by the media in the United Kingdom. Charlotte announced in June 2008 that she is expecting their second child.

He appears in adverts for Nike Pro, the budget clothes store Matalan, and for one of the Wales national team sponsors, Brains brewery.

On December 10, 2007, Henson was charged along with three other men with disorderly conduct after alleged "rowdy" behaviour while they were travelling on the 19:37 First Great Western train from London Paddington to Cardiff on December 2, 2007. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7136267.stm BBC NEWS | Wales | Rugby star Henson to face court ] ] They had been summoned to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on January 14, 2008, but the case against Henson was later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service due to insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7183714.stm BBC NEWS | Wales | Star Henson will not face court ] ]

Honours

* British & Irish Lions
* Wales U16
* Wales U18
* Wales U19
* Wales Development XV
* Wales A
* Wales U21
* Wales

References

External links

* [http://ospreys.sportstatdata.com/ST_OSP_1005.aspx?pr=105437 Ospreys profile]
* [http://www.wru.co.uk/2634_1754.php Wales profile]
* [http://www.biogs.com/famous/henson.html Biography] on biogs.com