Former England and Leicester Tigers hooker Tom Youngs has swapped scrums for buns, launching a new burger venture on his family farm in Norfolk. The 39-year-old, who earned 28 caps for England and was part of the victorious 2013 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, now spends his weekends running "Scrums and Buns" – a burger stall and bar set up in one of the farm's fields near Aylsham.

Youngs, who retired from rugby in 2022, says the new business is about more than just food. "I've always wanted to do something like this... it's just having the confidence to do it, and it's gone really well so far," he told BBC Radio Norfolk. "It's a really nice way to spend the weekend." The venture, a partnership with his cousin George and a professional caterer, has quickly become a family affair, with everyone pitching in to serve customers and share stories.

The decision to diversify into the food business reflects the realities of modern farming. "That's the way of the world – diversification is the key thing to our business," Youngs explained. But for the former rugby star, the stall also serves a deeper purpose. After the death of his wife, Tiffany, shortly after his retirement, Youngs credits farm work with helping him cope with loneliness. Now, he's using the burger business to reconnect the community with the countryside. "There's a bit of a disconnect at the moment," he said. "Getting kids on farms is really important. If we can get them down here to enjoy a good local burger, it leads to conversations about what we're doing on the farm to help nature and all sorts of things."

Youngs, who was Leicester Tigers' player of the season during their 2013 Premiership title win, now works full-time on the arable side of the farm owned by his father, Nick – the family's first international rugby player and a former Leicester scrum-half in the 1980s. From the rugby pitch to the farmyard, Tom Youngs is proving that the best plays often happen off the field.