Martin Bayfield

Martin Bayfield
Full name Martin Christopher Bayfield
Date of birth (1966-12-21) 21 December 1966
Place of birth Bedford
Height 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
Weight 115 kg (18 st 2 lb)[1]
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Lock
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
Northampton
Bedford Blues
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1991–1996
1993		 England
British and Irish Lions		 34
3		 (0)
(0)

Martin Christopher Bayfield (born 21 December 1966) is an English former rugby union footballer who played lock forward for Northampton Saints, Bedford Blues and England, gaining 31 England and 3 Lions caps.

Early life and career

Bayfield was born in Bedford and was educated at Bedford School. He served in the Metropolitan Police from 1985 to 1989, when he transferred 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, 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. He would play 18 times partnering Martin Johnson. His final appearance for England came in the 1996 Five Nations match against Wales.

His last game was against Gloucester in February 1998; a neck injury sustained in training a few days later forced him to retire.

Film and television career

Since retirement, Bayfield has worked as a journalist, an after-dinner speaker and has since 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. Bayfield also played Rugby Player 2 in an episode of New Tricks on BBC1 (first shown on 1 September 2008).

In his broadcasting career he has presented the NFL and World's Strongest Man coverage on UK Channel Five and worked as a rugby correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live. He has also been involved as a presenter in ITV's coverage of the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups as well as presenting ITV's Guinness Premiership highlights. Since March 2012 he now also co-presents Crimewatch on BBC 1.

In 2013 BT Sport acquired the exclusive rights to the Aviva Premiership. Bayfield, along with his ITV co-presenter Craig Doyle, moved to the new channel and he now works as a presenter, pundit and pitchside reporter.[2]

Personal life

He is actively involved with charity, and is an Honorary President of the Wooden Spoon Society, the rugby charity that supports disadvantaged children and young people. He has three daughters.

In August 2014, Bayfield was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.[3]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-focus-five-nations-focus-bayfield-grows-into-his-new-life-fortune-provided-the-springboard-to-launch-a-6ft-10in-policemans-surge-from-obscurity-to-international-status-steve-bale-reports-england-have-a-towering-force-in-the-second-row-while-wales-blood-a-tall-frontrow-find-at-cardiff-arms-park-today-1471368.html
  2. ↑ Bt Sport.com
  3. ↑ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories | Politics". theguardian.com. 2014-08-07. Retrieved 2014-08-26.

External links

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