Got curious about Martin Bayfield the other day after some rugby highlight reel popped up. Thought, ‘Bloke was massive back then – wonder what he’s stuffing into his life now?’ Grabbed my phone, opened a browser tab, and started poking around like a kid digging for lost coins under the couch.
The Messy Start
Tapped ‘Martin Bayfield now’ straight into the search bar. Predictably, a pile of old articles about his playing days flooded in first – stuff about being a policeman alongside rugby, towering over other players, basic facts I already knew. Felt a bit rubbish. Refined my search, chucked in ‘current activities’ hoping to scrape fresh info off the bottom. Still mostly ancient stuff talking about his height as if it was breaking news yesterday. Annoying.
Social Media Deep Dive
Sighed, switched tactics. Jumped over to Twitter, typed his name. Scrolled past loads of blokes reminiscing about classic matches he played in. Then – bingo! Found his actual, genuine Twitter handle. Started stalking his posts backwards like tracking a muddy trail. Saw retweets about charity rugby events, the occasional nostalgic pic of him in his playing kit looking like a giant next to regular humans. No daily life diary, mind you. Just bits and bobs.
Flipped over to LinkedIn next, curious if he’s done any corporate nonsense post-retirement. Profile confirmed what I half-remembered: public speaking gigs, brand ambassador roles, even a mention of authoring kids’ books. Clicked around. Saw engagement with rugby organisations and charitable foundations. Nothing about stacking shelves at Tesco, obviously.
Piecing It Together
Sat back, piecing together the crumbs:
- Still towering over things: Found a recent interview clip (probably filmed years ago, let’s be honest) where he still looks fit as a fiddle. Definitely not running full 80 minutes, but kept himself trim.
- Talking the Talk: Old articles, his LinkedIn, and Twitter all scream ‘corporate talks & rugby promoting’. Seems a big chunk of his time is flogging motivation or rugby history to businesses and fans.
- Kids’ Books? Seriously? Totally forgot he wrote children’s books about rugby! Searched his name + ‘books’ and boom – covers featuring giant rugby player characters. Found reviews on a bookstore site. Who knew?
- Charity Boots On: Twitter timeline clearly shows ongoing links with Wooden Spoon and other rugby charities. Looks like regular involvement, not just a photo op once a decade.
The Reality Check
Honestly? Bit of an underwhelming hunt. Was half-expecting some wild career shift or scandal. What did I actually confirm?
- No blockbuster Hollywood career (shock).
- No quiet life growing cabbages in Devon.
- Didn’t suddenly become a ballet dancer.
Just seems like a bloke comfortably settled into life as a retired sportsman: bits of punditry, motivating suits in conference rooms, scribbling kids’ books, and kicking about with charity work. Still leans heavy on that rugby legacy, but makes sense – built his life on it! Found a local rugby club newsletter mentioning him opening a pitch last year. Proof he’s still kicking around the scene, literally.
Conclusion? Bayfield’s basically doing the standard ex-pro shuffle – leveraging his past for a stable, respectable now. Not flashy, just practical. Figured it out eventually, but took more digging through digital fluff than I expected. The internet’s a messy attic sometimes.
