Henson embraces new Blues reality

Welsh rugby has been pleading for Gavin Henson to take a reality check for years, so yesterday's declaration will be most welcome. No more TV, no more Strictly, no more of The Bachelor – the celebrity is concentrating solely on what made him famous in the first place.

"That's it for the reality TV; I'm done," said Henson, at his first press conference for the Blues after signing last week. "For me, it's just rugby now. My hunger is bigger than ever. That's exciting as I lost those feelings. Running out for games and not feeling anything wasn't nice. But my love for the game is back."

The Blues will be glad to hear it, having offered Henson a return to his homeland after his former region, the Ospreys, had turned him down. At 29, Henson realises the opportunities are running out, whether it be in his favoured position of fly-half or in the centre.

"I can understand why people talk about last-chance saloons. I've taken a lot of time out of the game so there are huge question marks," said Henson, who quit the sport for 18 months in the midst of his divorce from the singer Charlotte Church. "I have a lot to prove to myself and everyone else. I do still have a high opinion of myself as a rugby player."

Henson's first target is to secure a long-term deal in Cardiff. "I've only signed until the end of the season, kind of like on trial as well and I want this to be my last club," said Henson, who missed the World Cup because of the wrist injury which will keep him sidelined for another month. "In an ideal world I would make it back for Wales to play in the Six Nations."