Henson career in doubt after Cardiff sack star for booze binge (and he's banned by Flybe too!)



Gavin Henson has been sacked by Cardiff Blues after admitting an all-night drinking session which finished with him allegedly throwing ice cubes at plane passengers.



The one-time Wales star issued a grovelling apology on Sunday and hoped that would be enough to save his job, and possibly his career.

Ready to board? Gavin Henson poses with a fan shortly before his flight out of Glasgow

But Henson's fate was sealed when he attended a disciplinary hearing on Monday morning.



It is understood Henson went out in Glasgow city centre after Cardiff's match on Friday night and did not return to the team's hotel until 5am for a 7am flight.



Out the door: Gavin Henson has been sacked by Cardiff Blues

HENSON CONTROVERSIES October 2005: Henson releases a book entitled 'My Grand Slam Year' chronicling Wales' Six Nations success and his experiences on the Lions tour of New Zealand. Comments about other players and life in the Wales camp mean he is forced to apologise in front of his team-mates. December 2005: Henson is cited for elbowing Leicester prop Alex Moreno in a Heineken Cup game between the two sides, Henson is initially banned for 10 weeks and two days, which is reduced to seven weeks on appeal. December 2007: Henson is charged with disorderly conduct over his behaviour on a train after helping Ospreys beat Harlequins in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. The case is later dropped. April 2011: Having left the Ospreys for Saracens and then moved on to Toulon, things appear to be looking up for Henson when he scores a try on his debut for the French club. But after his second appearance against Toulouse he is involved in an altercation with two team-mates in a nightclub and is suspended for a week. March 2012: Henson is suspended by Cardiff Blues following an incident on the flight back from Scotland after their match against Glasgow Warriors the previous night. He later apologises for drinking and 'behaving inappropriately'.

Cardiff Blues CEO Richard Holland said in a statement: 'The Cardiff Blues management have discussed the matter at length but have acted swiftly since the incident occurred on Saturday morning.



'Gavin admitted himself that his behaviour was totally unacceptable and the immediate termination of his contract sends out a clear message that behaviour like that will not be tolerated at the Blues.

'We have a duty to our supporters and sponsors to protect the good name of Cardiff Blues and those associated with our brand.



'Gavin Henson is obviously a talented rugby player and it's unfortunate that his career at the Blues has ended this way.

'However, we would like to thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck with his future career.'



Henson had earlier said in a statement via his management company: 'I stupidly carried on drinking during the flight, for which I am truly embarrassed.



'I can see that drinking and behaving inappropriately on that flight as a professional sportsman at 7am has caused offence to members of the public, the Flybe airline staff and passengers.



'I know that I have let my team-mates, coaches, management, sponsors and indeed my family down with my actions. Drinking on that plane was inexcusable and I know that I must take responsibility for it.



'I also accept that in the light of this I need to learn from it and ensure this does not happen again.



'I am prepared to co-operate 100 per cent with the Cardiff Blues wishes and will do everything that I need to do in order to make amends and enable the Blues to focus on our biggest game of the season next weekend.



'I remain fully focused and committed to Cardiff Blues and I hope they can accept my apology.'



Will Wales see him again? Henson is talented but his career is now in doubt

Flybe are also investigating the incident and released a statement saying: 'Flybe can confirm that it is gathering information from its own staff as well as those at both airports and will make no further comment at this time.'



Henson is no stranger to controversy. Last May he left Toulon following a bust-up with teammates. In December 2007 he had been accused of disorderly conduct on a train, following a game at Harlequins.



Two years later he was cautioned by police investigating an alleged assault, while in 2005, following the Grand Slam triumph, he was questioned by Wales team officials for an incident in a pub.

Apology: Henson issued a statement on Sunday

Henson had vowed to revive his career when he signed for Saracens in December 2010 following a period on the sidelines to overcome injury and personal problems surrounding his marriage to singer Charlotte Church.



But he stayed only two months at Saracens before he joined Toulon for that troubled stay. After missing out on World Cup selection last September with a wrist injury, he signed for Cardiff on a short-term basis just before last Christmas.



But Henson has struggled to make an impact, making just eight appearances for the region.



Blues would have hoped Henson would be a candidate to take over from Wales centre Jamie Roberts for Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster in Dublin.



Roberts faces a scan today after he injured a knee again in Friday's match.



First capped as a 19-year-old in 2001, Henson sprang to prominence by kicking a monster penalty to help Wales beat England 11-9 at the start of the 2005 RBS 6 Nations, paving the way for a first Welsh Grand Slam in 27 years and his selection for the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

HENSON FACTFILE

1982: Born February 1 in Bridgend. 2000: Joins Swansea at the age of 18. 2001: Named the International Rugby Board's young player of the year. Wins first Wales cap on summer tour of Japan and makes first start against Romania in Cardiff in September. 2003: Misses out on selection for the World Cup in Australia. 2005: February 5 - Kicks the winning penalty as Wales beat England 11-9 at the Millennium Stadium.

March 19: Part of the Wales side that completes a first Grand Slam for 27 years.

March 26: Scores 24 points as the Ospreys seal the Celtic League title with victory over Edinburgh.

April 11: Named in Sir Clive Woodward's squad for the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. Plays in the second Test as the Lions are routed 3-0 by their hosts.

October: Releases a book entitled 'My Grand Slam Year'. Comments about other players and life in the Wales camp saw him forced to apologise to his team-mates.

December 19: Elbows Leicester prop Alex Moreno in a Heineken Cup game and serves a seven-week ban. 2006: February 26 - Just 12 days after Mike Ruddock's shock resignation as Wales coach, Henson comes off the bench as the visitors are trounced 31-5 by Ireland in Dublin. Henson later described himself as feeling 'suicidal' over his performance.

2007: Misses out on World Cup selection following achilles injury.

December 10 - Charged with disorderly conduct over behaviour on a train after helping Ospreys beat Harlequins. The case is later dropped. 2008: Becomes a mainstay in new coach Warren Gatland's Wales side.

March 15 - Part of Wales side that beats France 29-12 in Cardiff to win another Six Nations Grand Slam, but picks up an injury and misses the summer tour to South Africa. 2009: March 21 - Tastes defeat for the first time in a Six Nations match he has started as Ireland claim the Grand Slam with a 17-15 win in Cardiff.

March 28: Suffers an ankle injury playing for the Ospreys against Gloucester which rules him out of the Lions tour to South Africa.

August 29: It is revealed Henson is on indefinite, unpaid leave from the Ospreys. 2010: September 8: Named as a contestant on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.

October 27: Released by Ospreys from the remainder of his contract, which ran until May 2011.

October 28: Signs for Saracens.

December 26: Comes off the bench to make his Saracens debut in the 13-6 victory over Wasps in the Aviva Premiership at Wembley.

2011: January 2 - Makes his only start for Saracens in the 28-22 defeat by Sale Sharks.

February 2: Saracens agree to release Henson from his contract after just four appearances.

February 3: Joins French Top 14 side Toulon.

April 18: Following his second appearance in a victory over Toulouse, Henson is suspended by Toulon for a breach of club discipline.

May 24: Toulon confirm earlier reports of Henson's departure.

June 14: Channel 5 confirm Henson will star in new TV dating show, a UK version of the US hit The Bachelor.

August 13: World Cup hopes come to an end because of a dislocated bone in his right wrist suffered in Wales' 19-9 win over England in Cardiff.

October 18: Signs for Cardiff Blues.

2012: March 31 - Suspended by Cardiff Blues following an incident on the flight back from Scotland after their match against Glasgow Warriors the previous night, he later apologises for his behaviour.

April 2: Cardiff Blues confirm they have dismissed Henson with immediate effect.



Later that year he was forced to apologise to his Wales team-mates over revelations he made in his book 'My Grand Slam Year', and shortly after he was banned for seven weeks for elbowing Leicester prop Alex Moreno.

Henson rediscovered his best form to be a key figure in Wales' 2008 Six Nations clean sweep, which came just a few months after an incident on a train in December 2007 that saw him charged with disorderly conduct, although the case was later dropped.

But with the rugby world seemingly his for the taking, a mixture of injuries followed by a self-imposed exile from the game between March 2009 and October 2010 saw his star fade.

During that time Henson appeared in several reality TV shows, including Strictly Come Dancing and 71 Degrees North, and also went on to appear in The Bachelor.

Having negotiated a release from his Ospreys contract in October 2010, Henson joined Saracens - for whom he made just four appearances - and Toulon in quick succession as he sought to win a place in Wales' squad for the 2011 World Cup.

Henson's stint in France started promisingly with a try on his debut, but the nightclub altercation saw him suspended for a week and he was not offered a contract extension at the end of the season.

Despite not having a club, Henson won his first Wales cap for over two years in the defeat to the Barbarians last May and was named in coach Warren Gatland's provisional World Cup squad, only for a wrist injury suffered in the warm-up win over England to end his aspirations.

There had been glimpses of his best form in that fixture, and it was enough to convince the Blues to take a chance on the three-quarter, but that opportunity to revive his career has now been ended following the events of the weekend.



Shortly after the announcement that Henson had been sacked by Cardiff, Flybe issued a statement saying that they had informed the player that he has been banned from using the airline for six months.

A company spokesperson said: 'The safety of our passengers and staff is Flybe's number one priority and as such the airline has a zero tolerance attitude to unruly behaviour on board our aircraft.

'We are grateful for Mr Henson's apology following Saturday's flight from Glasgow to Cardiff.

