Henson departs Toulon to make room for Mason



Gavin Henson's short stay at the big-spending French club Toulon will come to an abrupt halt at the end of this season, club sources said yesterday.

The 29-year-old Welshman joined the Top 14 club in February but he recently served a one-week suspension for a nightclub brawl with teammates and had been waiting to discover whether he would be welcome back.

The club president Mourad Boudjellal said: "We do not want to blame anyone, but for next season we hope that team spirit is a priority."

Henson joined Toulon for an initial five months to cover for the injured Clement Marienval, hoping to convince coach Philippe Saint-Andre to give him a new two-year deal as well as revive his Wales career ahead of this year's World Cup.

He had encouragement early on when he was named in the Wales squad to face the Barbarians next week, but he hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons once again, and his off-field behaviour costing him any chance of a long-term deal at Toulon.

Henson last played for Wales in the 2009 Six Nations before personal problems and injuries prompted him to take unpaid leave from the Ospreys. The decision not to keep Henson follows the signing of Willie Mason, who is expected to play at centre.

The biog

Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb

Age: 57

From: Kalba

Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge

Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

 

THE BIO

BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.

A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber

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