Rugby: Cohen to tackle homophobia

Ben Cohen. Photo / Getty Images

Former England World Cup-winning winger Ben Cohen has prematurely ended his rugby career to concentrate on a new foundation aimed at reducing bullying and homophobia.

The 32-year-old wing, who scored 31 tries in 57 tests, has been released by Sale Sharks despite being their player of the season.

Cohen believes he could play for another two years but has turned down offers from clubs in England and France. Instead he will focus on heading up the Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation, focusing on bullying and homophobia.

Cohen is heterosexual - he is married with twin daughters - but has become a gay icon in recent years. He has been conscious of his gay following, ousting David Beckham as Gay Times' sports personality of the year in 2008.

In recent years, Cohen has developed his role as an advocate of equality and his new venture is aimed at helping those in the lesbian and gay community who are struggling to come to terms with their sexuality.

Cohen is in the United States on what is branded an Acceptance Tour, visiting Atlanta, New York, Washington and Seattle to work with gay and gay-friendly clubs to raise funds and promote the anti-bullying message.

His interest in reducing suicides from bullying comes from a trait that runs in the Cohen family.

It's a trait that essentially cost his father Peter his life in 2000, dying from wounds sustained as he tried to break up a fight at a nightclub managed at the time by Cohen's elder brother, Justin. Peter Cohen was brother of English World Cup-winning football player George Cohen.

"It is incredibly exciting and we have so many plans in the pipeline to be able to make a difference," he said.

"There is a lot of work to be done. Attitudes need to change. Young people should not be bullied into taking their own lives.

"I first started doing this about six years ago, so it's not about being a parent. It's about how having a privileged position and a huge following can change people's lives, or change someone's thought process.

"I found out I had a massive following - and it happened to be all men. And it didn't bother me, didn't faze me.

"I was in a privileged position to make a difference. We found that it came with responsibilities. I could've turned away and said, 'Nah, not interested.' But when you start hearing about things, you think, [homophobia] is a really common problem. I wanted to do something about it.

"I'm not after fame, fortune or anything like that. It's just generally making a difference with the first-ever foundation that is headed by myself, who is a world-champion sportsman with a very successful career, but who also specifically supports youth.

"It's horrible to think that someone would want to bully that out of them, drive them to kill themselves, to make them feel isolated or run away. These people probably have bright futures, and it's sad to see someone get something out of bullying people."