The former England and British and Irish Lions prop has had quite the career since bursting onto the scene with Bath
Former England prop Matt Stevens(Image: Instagram/Founders Arms)
There are not many former England rugby internationals who can say they have been banned from their sport for two years, reached the final of a major TV singing competition, played on two British and Irish Lions tours and eventually swapped the rugby pitch for the world of wine and property development.
Matt Stevens can.
The former England prop, now 43, has lived a remarkably colourful life since arriving in England from South Africa as a student more than two decades ago.
These days he is based in Cape Town, where he works in property development, a world away from the international rugby stage.
But his journey to this point has been anything but straightforward.
Born in Durban to English parents, Stevens moved to England to study at the University of Bath and quickly caught the attention of Bath Rugby.
He made his senior debut in the 2002/03 season and, within a year, had earned his first England call-up. He made his Test debut against New Zealand in 2004 and would go on to win 44 England caps between 2004 and 2012.
He also became a two-time British and Irish Lions tourist, making six appearances on the 2005 tour of New Zealand and another six on the 2013 tour of Australia, although he never played in a Test.
Matt Stevens playing for the Lions(Image: 2013 Getty Images)
His biggest World Cup moment came in 2007, when he featured in all of England’s matches during their run to the final in France. Stevens came off the bench in the final against South Africa, having started three of England’s pool matches.
But even before that, Stevens had already developed a reputation for being rather different to the stereotypical rugby prop.
The rugby player who could sing
In 2006, Stevens swapped the rugby pitch for the stage when he entered ITV’s The X Factor: Battle of the Stars, a celebrity version of the hugely popular singing competition.
Mentored by Sharon Osbourne, the Bath forward made it all the way to the final, where he was beaten by EastEnders actress Lucy Benjamin.
Stevens’ performances, including renditions of songs such as Mack the Knife, earned him plenty of attention beyond rugby, while the competition also raised more than £125,000 for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
He was subsequently invited to meet Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg.
His musical talents were no novelty act, either. Stevens was known for playing guitar, singing and writing songs, while his appearance on the show helped turn him into something of a celebrity outside the rugby world.
The two-year ban
In December 2008, Stevens provided a sample after Bath’s Heineken Cup match against Glasgow Warriors.
The following month, he was provisionally suspended after testing positive for cocaine metabolites.
In February 2009, he was handed a two-year ban from all rugby-related activity, with the suspension running until January 2011. He waived his right to have his B sample tested and subsequently spoke openly about his cocaine use and addiction.
Bath were preparing to tear up his contract, which was reportedly worth more than £500,000, and Stevens’ England career appeared to be over.
But Stevens believes the ban ultimately became a turning point.
Stevens later described being caught as something that forced him to confront his problems. When he returned to rugby in January 2011, he spoke about being in a much better place and receiving counselling as he continued to manage his addiction.
Saracens gave him his second chance and Stevens took it.
He returned to competitive rugby with Saracens in January 2011 and went on to help them win the Premiership title later that season, beating Leicester Tigers at Twickenham. He was subsequently recalled to the England set-up and made his return to the international side.
He was even back at a World Cup later that year.
From England to South Africa and France
Stevens remained an England international under Stuart Lancaster and played all five of England’s matches in the 2012 Six Nations.
That August, however, he announced his retirement from international rugby at the age of 29, citing his young family and a desire to concentrate on his club career.
He would continue playing at the highest level for several more years.
After four seasons with Saracens, Stevens returned to his native South Africa in 2014 to join the Sharks, before moving to French giants Toulon in 2015.
A shoulder injury eventually brought his playing career to an end and he retired from rugby in 2016.
Former England and Bath prop Matt Stevens playing for the Sharks
The wine estate and his new life
Rather than moving into the usual post-rugby world of coaching or broadcasting, Stevens moved into hospitality.
He became general manager of hospitality at Boschendal, one of South Africa’s historic wine estates in the Western Cape, a role he held from 2017 until 2020.
His work there included overseeing the estate’s hospitality operation, with Stevens publicly involved in projects including a new luxury tented camp and the estate’s food and tourism offering.
By 2020, however, Stevens had moved on again.
He turned his attention to property development in Cape Town and the wider Western Cape, founding ERF Development Company with his associate Neil Wieffering.
The company’s own biography describes Stevens as an experienced hospitality operator who now works across the design, development and management of restaurants, accommodation, villas and other property projects. Just this week they announced the launch of a new pub in the Pinelands area of Cape Town called Founders.
So now, a decade after hanging up his boots, it’s fair to say Matt Stevens is living a very different life in Cape Town.
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