Former Six Nations-winner and Premiership rugby champion Ben Foden has fashioned a new career for himself in the housing market.
The retired full-back scored seven tries in 34 appearances for his country and was a member of the England side that marched to Six Nations glory in 2011. Steve Borthwick’s squad of today surprisingly finds itself in contention for this year’s crown after winning two of their opening three games, including a stunning upset of France in the second round.
And ex-rugby star Foden, 39, is all too familiar with the plaudits liable to come England’s way if they do the unthinkable and get their hands on the trophy. As well as winning the Six Nations more than a decade ago, he was also a part of the Northampton Saints team that bested Saracens to lift the Premiership title in 2014.
But after leaving England for Major League Rugby in 2019, Foden has set up a new life for him and his family across the pond. And despite retiring from the sport in 2022, he has managed to keep up a luxurious lifestyle after learning the ropes as a real estate agent in the Big Apple.
It was around the time of his rugby retirement that The Sun reported Foden had a net worth of around £5.1million. And that figure is only expected to have grown in the last couple of years, although perhaps not in line with his earnings as an athlete.
The same report mentioned Foden’s approximate salary at the pinnacle of his career in Northampton was roughly £1million. Even that number would likely have only been accurate for the last few seasons of his 14-year career in English rugby, not to mention the hundreds of thousands he’s liable to have earned from his days playing for England.
Outside of rugby, the Chest-born back also had a reality television career after appearing on Dancing With the Stars in 2022, where he was part of the first pair to be eliminated. He fared better on The X-Factor: Celebrity in 2018, where he and his group, Try Star, made it as far as the semi-finals.
Foden currently works for the New York branch of the Douglas Elliman real estate group, which also has headquarters in Florida and California, to name a few. The company deals in high-end properties, many of which are valued at more than £1million.
One such property recently rented out by Foden’s team was a palatial five-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. And you too could take a site off Foden’s hands – provided you can afford the £13,500-a-month rent.
After being nominated for an award at his new job in 2024, Foden wrote that he was “humbled” to receive the honour. Though he did note it was “a little different from winning championships or cup finals.”
“Everyday we all strive for excellence and everyday I try and learn and be better than before,” he continued. “Looking forward to what’s around the corner. Love the journey and the destination doesn’t really matter.”
Foden – who was previously married to Una Healy and has two children with the ex-Saturdays band member – shares two more children with current wife Jackie Smith. And his partner brings home her own income through her aromatherapy company, The Goddess Line.
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