Ben Cohen (rugby union) joined Northampton Saints and made his first team debut against Treorchy in the 1996/97 season, following which his name was rarely left off the team sheet. Cohen had long been linked with a move away from the club. Whilst at Northampton he started in the victorious 2000 Heineken Cup Final as they defeated Munster. Following his release from contract from Northampton RFC in 2007, Cohen had been linked with midlands rivals Leicester Tigers, other English and French rugby union clubs and a switch of codes to rugby league at or Wigan. His future had remained uncertain after he failed to
Rugby union in Queensland union players leaving for Sydney to play rugby league and get paid in the process, something which the amateur code of rugby union could not offer. In 1908, the QRU banned its players from going to Sydney to play rugby league, which resulted in disgruntled players forming the Queensland Rugby League. Of particular note was that at this time, league put down strong roots in the bush and in working class communities and these areas are still the heartland of the modern game of rugby league. In 1913 nine Christian Brothers' College Football Club (Brothers) players represented Queensland in the