An Evening With Ben Cohen

Member priority booking period begins at 10am on Thu 23 April

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This show will be on general sale from Fri 24 April at 10am

Ben Cohen MBE – Rugby World Cup Winner, Entrepreneur, Advocate, Ally  and Mental Health Champion

Rugby World Cup Winner Ben Cohen MBE is a truly unique and inspiring personality: a prolific try scorer on the pitch, an in-demand corporate speaker, a pioneering anti-bullying campaigner, a celebrated LGBTQIA+ ally, and someone who transformed personal challenges—including hearing loss and persistent tinnitus—into strengths that have shaped his life and work.

I came to prominence with Northampton Saints, helping the club lift the Heineken Cup in 2000. A powerful, quick, and instinctive wing, I earned my international debut for England against Ireland in the 2000 Six Nations, going on to win 57 caps, score 31 international tries, and tour with the legendary British & Irish Lions in 2001. I also proudly represented top clubs including Northampton Saints, Brive, and Sale Sharks, earning accolades such as Sale’s Player of the Season, before retiring at 32.

Beyond the pitch, my personal journey has shaped missions far greater than sporting success. For nearly 20 years, I have been a passionate ally, working within Diversity, Inclusion, and LGBTQIA+ communities, advocating for authenticity, equality, and safe spaces in schools, workplaces, and society at large. My love of testing myself has led me to extreme and immersive experiences—whether working as a trawler-man in the North Atlantic sea, competing on The Jump, enduring the rigours of SAS: Who Dares Wins, or working with some of my former teammates on Grand Slammers, teaching prisoners how to play rugby and inspiring life change through sport. I have also written and developed television content, including Unbreakable on TNT/Discovery+, which explores the challenges athletes face after professional sport and the realities of life beyond the game.

I am also a dedicated mental health advocate, with a particular focus on men’s mental health and human behaviour. My own journey of understanding mental wellbeing has been deeply personal and enlightening, informing both my public speaking and the support I provide to others.

The tragic loss of my father to violence, alongside stories of bullying I encountered in schools and workplaces, inspired me to found the StandUp Foundation, the world’s first anti-bullying charity. This work evolved into global partnerships with Nike and the #BeTrue brand, creating a platform that raises awareness and funds for equality in sport. We achieved this not only by building a strong, values-driven brand but also by forming a coalition of organisations across the D&I space, tackling stereotypes, bridging gaps, and using sport—especially outside political arenas—as a driver of cultural change, understanding, and acceptance.

Transitioning from professional sport, I immersed myself in business and innovation, founding Soo Yoga and 03 Champions—a platform that reunited the 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning team to create brands and partnerships supporting athletes as they leave professional sport. Through mental health support, therapy, education, and career pathways, I help sportspeople navigate life beyond competition, leaving a legacy far greater than sporting achievement.

An inductee of the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame, I continue to champion resilience, inclusion, and mental wellbeing. Whether on the field, in business, or through life’s toughest challenges, I believe true strength lies not just in victory, but in lifting others along the way.