Sexton Swaps Rugby for the Badge: 6 Other Players Who Served in Law Enforcement

Jerry Sexton, brother of rugby legend Johnny and former London Irish second-row, has officially completed his police training and is now gearing up for a career in law enforcement.

In this article, we spotlight six other rugby players who have also traded the pitch for a career with the ‘Old Bill’.

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1. Dean Richards

Richards was schooled at John Cleveland College, in Hinckley, and was a police constable for Leicestershire Constabulary between the 1980s and 1990s before English rugby union became professional. He had a long playing career with Leicester Tigers, and played 48 times for England and six times for the British & Irish Lions. The 55-year-old is now the boss of Premiership side Newcastle Falcons.

2. Martin Bayfield

He served with the Metropolitan Police from 1985 to 1989, before transferring to Bedfordshire Police. The 208 cm (6 ft 10in) tall Bayfield made his England debut in 1991, and although he was omitted from the 1991 World Cup squad, he was a part of the 1992 Five Nations Grand Slam winning side. He went on the 1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand, and was part of the 1995 World Cup squad. Since retirement, Bayfield has worked as a presenter for BT Sport, an after-dinner speaker, and has appeared in all of the Harry Potter films playing the half-giant Hagrid, as Robbie Coltrane’s body and stunt double.

3. Wade Dooley

He played for England 55 times and was known as the “Blackpool Tower”, as a result of being 6 feet 8 inches tall and a police officer with Lancashire Constabulary in Blackpool. He later established a second-row partnership with fellow police officer Paul Ackford.

4. Paul Ackford

The lock is a former English rugby union international who played lock forward. He was formerly an inspector in the Metropolitan Police, and is now a columnist for The Telegraph. He went on the 1989 British Lions tour to Australia, where he played in all three tests.

5. Dan Crowley

He is a retired Australian rugby union player who played for the Wallabies 38 times between 1989 and 1999, and earned over 100 caps for the Queensland Reds during his rugby career. Crowley also worked as an undercover police officer with the Queensland Police Force, specialising in busting drug-rings on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

6. Simone Favaro

Sitting down at the start of 2017 once he knew Glasgow did not plan to keep him under new boss Dave Rennie, and uninspired by the new offers on the table, he made a radical decision to join the Italian police force.

5 England Hopefuls Who Bottled It This Weekend

The Premiership action this weekend saw some England hopefuls looking to make their mark. Unfortunately, for a few, things didn’t quite go to plan.

Here’s a look at five players who’ll be hoping for a quick turnaround after a tough weekend on the pitch.

Rus Tuima – Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs were left reeling as Newcastle Falcons snapped their 25-match losing streak with a 25-18 win. Tuima, who’s been in the conversation for England, had a day to forget.

His biggest issue? Giving away careless penalties in the middle of the field. These gave Newcastle perfect opportunities to kick for the corner, setting up camp in Exeter’s half and ultimately piling on the pressure. For Tuima, this was definitely one of those “could’ve done better” days.

Ethan Roots – Exeter Chiefs

It was a rough week for Roots. Dropped from the England squad ahead of the Autumn internationals, the flanker had a chance to make a statement against Newcastle. But instead, his frustrations got the better of him.

A reckless late hit on Falcons fly-half Grayson gave away a penalty at a crucial moment, allowing Newcastle to relieve the pressure and gain valuable ground. Petulant moments like this won’t win you points in the England selection room.

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