GOOD wine and rugby league - what weekends are made for!

Links between fine, delicate tipples from around the world and the rough, tough, traditionally working-class sport might not be particularly well-known (you'd think it's more for the hoity-toity Eton elite in rugby union). But they do exist and not just at the recent RL World Cup, which boasted its own "official wine partner", or in the boardrooms - just ask York City Knights' marquee signing, Ben Cockayne.

The former Super League star kicks off the new season with York this weekend with a prestigious fixture against former World Club champions Bradford Bulls.

And he has also recently kicked off a new venture in the world of wine.

Ben and wife Claire have joined a premium wine club new to the UK by the name of Direct Cellars, not just as punters but effectively as salespeople.

Unlike most other wine clubs, this one selects your reds and whites for you (three bottles for £54 or six for £89), and delivers to your door, along with additional details such as their connoisseurs' notes and food pairing suggestions. The fact you don't have to pick your own saves time and bother and also opens new horizons. It doesn't stop you buying more of the ones you like, mind.

For Ben and Claire, basically the more referrals they as members get to the club - via their link www.directcellars.com/thecockaynes - the more commission they make. It's almost like having a franchise.

However, while Ben, a self-proclaimed wine novice, admits getting into it initially to make money, he says it has opened his eyes to how enjoyable wine can be, his experience hitherto having been restricted to the occasional glass of big brand (and often cheaper) table wine at functions.

Obviously, as a professional sportsman, he still isn't going to go overboard (and certainly not on a weekend like the rest of us!), but the health benefits of a glass of red with dinner, for example, are well documented.

"A friend of mine first spoke to me about it as a side-business," he said, explaining how he got into it. "My first response was. 'I don't know anything about wine'. I knew it was good business, though, and it went from there.

"Previously if I went to a sporting function or a birthday party and had a glass of wine - well, there are some that aren't great, and I never really got it. But with these ones, I love the taste. From being someone that didn't drink wine, I now know they can be outstanding.

"I'm still a novice and still learning but I'm enjoying it."

Asked if he had a favourite tipple, Ben was quick to laud a Sicilian wine by the name Don Vincenzo Eghemon Passimiento, a blend of Nero d'Avola and the indigenous Frappato, where the former grapes are dried longer to intensify the concentration before fermentation.

"That's been my favourite by far recently," he said - and it is indeed a full-bodied cracker, with a lovely depth of dark fruit flavour, augmented by vanilla and oak spice.

"Another thing I like about Direct Cellars is they tend to use small producers and wineries. The focus is on quality and they're supporting the little guy too."

Now that IS like rugby league - an ethos of quality and social parity. Wine, too, is not just for the elite either. Those aforementioned links are maybe even bigger than thought.

You can chat to Ben, about wine or rugby, via his Twitter handle @BenCockayneDC