Famously bald England rugby star gets 'hair transplant' aged 45

Tuesday, 15 July 2025 at 21:07

byRugby Rucker

Surely this can't be true! Former England prop and all-round rugby personality David Flatman has surprised fans by revealing he’s had a hair transplant at the age of 45.

Taking to Instagram, the famously bald pundit shared a snap post-procedure, sporting a freshly tender scalp and his trademark humour.

Those of you who know me as a gentle, humble, slightly-too-sweaty, bald man, can rest assured that these traits will remain unchanged – except for the last bit.”

Flatman went on to explain that he’d embraced the bald look early in life – but only because he thought it made him look “hard.”

“I shaved my head when I was really young because I thought it would make me look hard, and I was right, it did! It was only when a mate pointed out that I’d actually gone bald that I realised the game was gone. And I assumed at that point I’d never know what it felt like to have hair again.”

Now, with hair restoration tech evolving faster than a winger on the break, Flatman decided it was time to give it a crack.

“Since then, tech has come on so much that bald blokes like me can have another shot at hair. So I thought, why not? I know so many blokes who have had it done and it’s worked wonders so I thought I’d give it a pop.”

With the procedure complete, recovery is underway – and Flatman says he’s under strict orders to take it easy.

“Excited to see the results but for now I’ve just got to chill and grill – doctor’s orders… And if it looks shit then I’ll bick it back off.

As my late Nana used to say in moments like these: what would Meatloaf do?”

Example hair transplant post op:

Social media piled in with classic rugby banter:

Phil Vickery:
"Mate .. won’t be able to take you seriously.. let the front row down brother ?"
Gabby Logan: "I am trying to imagine what you are going for. Hoping it’s David Gino’s circa 1995/6 season."
Tom Shanklin: "I told you teeth first and hair second !"
Andy Goode: "Welcome to the club bigun"
Gethin Jones: "F ing good on ya. Not sure you it, but excited to see the rug"
Jim Hamilton: "I don’t believe this David."

Flatman may have lost his hair years ago, but judging by the reactions, he hasn’t lost his sense of humour – or the respect of his mates in rugby circles. Now the waiting game begins to see what kind of “rug” he ends up with.

Top Five Rugby Players that have Had Cosmetic Surgery

We all know that rugby is the toughest sport in the world, which can result in a number of injuries to the face and body.

Let’s take a look at most known rugby players who actually changed their looks with plastic surgery.

1. Mike Tindall

The Rugby World Cup winner, whose nose was broken at least eight times during his rugby career, underwent a surgery in 2018 which fixed the fractures.

2. Ben Cohen

Cohen had some ‘work done’ – a new kind of nose job from the same surgeon as Tindall. He was unhappy with his face in profile, the legacy of having had his nose broken more times than he can remember on the pitch.

4632646 6222141 image a 18 1538237329179

3. Stuart Hogg

The Scottish rugby international Stuart Hogg appears to have undergone a highly successful hair transplant procedure. You can see quite a stark difference in the appearance of his hair between last year and this year in the pictures below.

4. Andy Goode

Retired twice from Rugby, Father to baby twins and after two hair transplants, introducing Andy Goode, the man who doesn’t like to do things once…

5. But it doesn't always go right - Carl Egonu

methode times prodmigration web bin 73b0597d 959b 331b a448 0ddbe0e180ba

The rugby player, from Plymouth, wanted to streamline his nose after years of playing the high-octane sport. However, as a result he now has a raised patch that is darker than the surrounding skin and doctors say nothing can be done to correct. He won a £26,000 payout after the operation left him scarred for life.

"Controversial" - Six Nations deliver verdict on Springboks joining tournament as seventh team

Statement: England forward handed three-match ban