Ben Cohen (rugby player)
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Ben Cohen MBE is a rugby union player who plays wing for Northampton Saints and England.
Cohen was born in 14 September 1978 in Northampton. He was educated at Kingsthorpe Upper School, Northampton and took up rugby union aged 12 at Northampton Old Scouts.
Cohen made his England debut against Ireland in the inaugural Six Nations in 2000, scoring 2 tries.
Cohen's father Peter Cohen was killed in November 2000 in an incident at the Eternity nightclub in Northampton which Peter Cohen managed. He died a month after the assault, from a blood clot in his brain. Three men were found guilty of violent conductodd page (http://www.adultsx.co.uk/htm/insider/exposed/exposed/221007.shtml)
A year after his England debut, he was chosen for the 2001 Lions, and although he did not figure in the Tests series (due to poor form) he did score twice in the match against New South Wales Country Cockatoos at Coffs Harbour.
He played in all of England’s matches in the 2002/3 season, scoring a spectacular try against the All Blacks, and twice against the Australians at Twickenham. One of his most memorable tries was scored against Australia in June 2003 as England swept aside the host nation by 25-14, to complete their southern hemisphere tour unbeaten.
By the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Cohen had established himself as one of the great wings in world rugby. In England’s successful World Cup campaign he started in all but one of England’s matches and the triumph marked a unique family double. His uncle George Cohen played football for right back for England when they won the 1966 World Cup.
In the 2004 RBS 6 Nations, he was named man of the match against Wales, partly for two striking tries. He was a replacement in two of England’s 2004 Autumn internationals and was showing fine form for Northampton Saints by the turn of the year, often in the centre.