LIST: 5 rugby legends who made shock career changes, including Nigel Owens

This was not a joke. Haskell, who enjoyed a near 15-year playing career, winning 77 caps for England in the process, decided he wanted to give the “sweet science” a go at the tender age of 36 only for his debut fight to be cancelled..

Since hanging up his boots in 2019, after representing Northampton Saints and Wasps, he’s forged a successful media career with The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast along with work or BT Sport and Talk Sport.

But the competitive itch, that engulfs every professional athlete, doesn’t immediately go away. Haskell is no different. Despite his failure to crack the world of MMA, many rugby stars move into another sport once they’ve called time on the beautiful game.

It’s not a common occurrence but in some cases we’ve also seen ex-players put sports behind them entirely and enter a completely new profession.

Here are five such examples.

Following his retirement in 2010 due to injury, Vickery established his own fashion line named after his moniker. Featuring rugby-inspired tops and T-shirts, shirts, footwear and knitwear, the Raging Bull brand is stocked in 30 House of Fraser stores and 90 independent retailers in the UK.

Vickery, who won Celebrity MasterChef in 2011, has launched his new enterprise No.3  as a collection service after plans to open a restaurant were delayed.

Unexpectedly, Bayfield appeared in all of the Harry Potter films playing the half-giant Hagrid, as Robbie Coltrane’s body and stunt double. He also appeared in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, as a young Rubeus Hagrid. Continuing the acting theme, he also played a cyclops in Jonathan Liebesman’s Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to 2010 movie Clash of the Titans.

The legendary All Blacks No 7 has revealed his plans for life after rugby having announced his retirement from the sport. When asked how he would fill his days now without the sport, he said: “I am heavily involved in the Christchurch Helicopters company, they are great people and I’m excited about the opportunities there. Aviation is something I’m passionate about, I’m going to carry on flying and work towards getting my commercial pilot licence.”

When former Sale and Cardiff star Nick Macleod damaged his big toe during a match a few years ago he never thought it would mean the end of his professional sporting career. What came as an even biggest surprise, however, was the fact he'd then go on to become one of Cardiff's most popular bakers.

The popular Welshman had an interest in farming since he was a young kid and it has always played a huge part in his life away from the rugby field. As he begins to wind down his refereeing career, Owens has bought his own farm with his partner Barrie and so far they’ve built up 26 pedigree Hereford cattle.