Gavin Henson
As of March 28, 2009 National: October 12, 2011
Gavin Henson ( born 1 February 1982 in Bridgend ) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for the Ospreys in the Magners League and for the Welsh national team. He was on the team that won the Grand Slam in the Six Nations in 2005 and 2008. Henson could play at positions inside three quarters, connectors and goalkeeper.
Career
2000 - 2004
Henson began during his school days with the rugby and went with 18 years to his first professional club, the Swansea RFC. After his first season, he was selected by the World Association IRB Young Player of the Year. In June 2001 he made his debut for the Welsh national team in a friendly against Japan, in which he replaced. Against Romania in September of the same year he first played from the start for Wales. In November his first attempt succeeded him in the jersey of the national team.
2003, the hitherto known league structure was broken into Wales to establish regional teams that should have the more opportunities in international comparison. Henson's club Swansea merged with Neath RFC and changed its name from then on as Ospreys. He ran the first time in September for the newly formed team when they met Ulster. He scoring two tries and a total of 15 points. In the following game against Newport him get to the connector position 14 counter. In that year he also denied two further caps for Wales. Henson achieved in 2004 the status of an international top player when he with excellent services further drew attention to himself in test matches of the national team against New Zealand and South Africa. He moved between the positions of the inner three-quarter and final.
2005
With the Six Nations 2005, he was also part of the Welsh squad. At the first tournament game against England, he caused quite a stir when he scored the decisive points for his team to 11-9 victory by a penalty kick from 40 meters. Previously, he had dominated his opponent throughout the game. After disappointing years at the Six Nations, the Welsh supporters now hoping for a turnaround and a successful showing at this traditional tournament. The team was able to the expectations of the fans after the victory over England meet and secured at the end of the Grand Slam tournament.
In the same year he succeeded with the Ospreys in the Celtic League title with a 29:12 victory in the final against Edinburgh. Henson scoring only 24 points and was the season one of the key players for the team's success. The first year went extremely well, for he was nominated for the tour of the British and Irish Lions. Despite the promise that he would be in the first game of the Lions with the process, coach Clive Woodward Henson, however, on the bench and let him run up in the second game, in which he was injured and thus lacked the conclusion of the tour only. Henson showed little understanding of Woodward's decision, whose team leadership was extremely controversial even in public. In October he published a book with the title "My Grand Slam Year," which dealt with events this season. For some it made comments against players he later apologized publicly.
2006 - today
Following the successful tour not the Lions, he suffered a groin injury prevent him from until the end of the year to pursue his sport. Only in December he returned. During a game against the Leicester Tigers he hit an opponent with his elbow and was it initially blocked for ten weeks. After further negotiations, the lock has been reduced to seven weeks. After only one club game after his forced break it was used in the game of Welsh against Ireland in the Six Nations in 2006 and showed a weak performance. The game was lost with 31:5. At the end of the tournament Wales remained after a victory over Scotland and a draw at home against Italy, only fifth place.
Henson was not nominated by mediocre performance and a more protracted injury to the squad for the World Cup 2007. In the public criticism of him was loud again and again, he would concentrate too much on its image and its appearance while neglecting his sport. Due to the disappointing cutting off the Welsh coach Gareth Jenkins at the World Cup was released after the tournament and Henson returned to the national team. With the Six Nations 2008 he stood for all games on the pitch and showed consistently good performance. At the end of the tournament he could celebrate with his team to re winning the Grand Slams. He has in his career, not a single game in the Six Nations still lost, in which he was in the starting lineup. As in 2005, followed the victory in the Six Nations tournament winning a title with the Ospreys. This time the team the EDF Energy Cup secured by a 23:6 victory over Leicester.
Private life
Henson lives with the Welsh singer Charlotte Church. The two have a daughter named Ruby Megan and a son. Because of their reputation and the extravagant appearance Henson on and off the field, the pair has been compared to David and Victoria Beckham. He is much in demand as an advertising figure and has advertised among other things Nike.