Former England rugby star Ben Cohen and his fiancée Kristina Rihanoff are back together, with their wedding plans reportedly back on track after they split last year.
Cohen, who won 57 caps for England and was a key member of the 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, had been engaged to the Russian professional dancer since November 2022. The couple, who have a daughter together, went their separate ways in March last year amid financial difficulties, but were reunited six months later.
From Rugby Glory to Personal Turmoil
During his playing career, Cohen was often described as 'the David Beckham of rugby' due to his model looks and electric performances on the wing for Northampton Saints, Brive and Sale Sharks. Yet behind the smile as he celebrated World Cup glory in Sydney, the then-25-year-old was still coming to terms with a personal tragedy.
Three years earlier, his father Peter – the brother of England World Cup-winning footballer George Cohen – had died after being attacked outside his nightclub in Northampton. Peter had been trying to protect a victim of an attack in October 2000 when he suffered serious head injuries and spent three weeks in a coma. He appeared to be recovering but tragically passed away.
Off the Rails and Turning It Around
Cohen later admitted the fatal attack caused him to go "off the rails" and turn to alcohol to cope with the tragedy. He credited former Northampton coach Wayne Smith with helping him turn his career around.
"I was an average rugby player," Cohen told The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast. "But what made me overachieve was the anger and pain of what happened to my dad."
He added: "I would say I went off the rails. I would say I'd been on my own since that point, I'm going to turn into an alcoholic for 10, 12 years. It was tough, tough going until Wayne came in after the Lions tour. He called me into the office and gave me a job ultimatum, which I needed."
Financial Struggles and Reconciliation
Since retiring from rugby in 2011, Cohen has faced difficult times. After appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, he left his wife of 11 years, Abby Blayney, and began a relationship with Rihanoff. The couple's financial troubles were made public in court in September 2024 after Rihanoff was caught driving without insurance.
Cohen told the court the couple's companies had accrued debts of around £1 million, with their joint yoga venture Soo Yoga Group owing just shy of £488,500. "I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything," he said. "To lose my cars and my house and my relationship. I'm so overdrawn."
Despite splitting in March last year, the couple were back together six months later, with the wedding now back on after they were spotted together at an awards ceremony in London. A source told The Sun at the time: "They've decided to give things another go. They looked very much in love."
