A streaker once felt the brunt of Andrew Symonds’ strength when he was on the wrong end of a shoulder charge at the Gabba. Symonds was always keen to put that power into action on the rugby field, so much so that he once considered quitting cricket to try out for the Brisbane Broncos.

Now that he doesn’t hold a Cricket Australia contract, Symonds is free to pursue activities that would have been considered too risky for a professional cricketer. It didn’t take him long to indulge his passion for rugby, playing against a Men of League All-Stars team including Steve Renouf, Marcus Bai and Ben Kennedy on the weekend.

The Courier-Mail reported that Symonds played wing for the first half and was given a jeer by the crowd when he dropped the first pass that came to him but then performed well. "I couldn't sleep last night," Symonds said.

There were a few impressive moments from Symonds, including when he closed in on Bai, a former rugby league star, and laid a strong tackle. "One thing I will say about him is that he is very strong," Bai said. "I thought I would bump him off, but I couldn't."