Lawrence Dallaglio on blood, sweat and beers

As the dust settles on the 2009 British Lions tour, it is clear there were points in the matches when the rugby team missed its retired star Lawrence Dallaglio. He also tells me, settling down over a pint to discuss his new role as a spokesman for Greene King, that there were times when he missed being involved too.

That was then, this is now. With his playing career behind him, a World Cup win, three Lions tours and a host of club honours to the good, Dallaglio has thrown himself into the pub and brewing business. He has a contract to back Greene King IPA's initiatives as the official beer of English rugby, has put his name to a limited-edition beer from the Suffolk brewer, and owns shares in a pub himself.

With Dallaglio most recently launching a competition for a consumer to create their own beer, I'm here to ask the rugby legend what stars like him bring to the trade and to find out how genuine are Greene King's claims that he is an 'ambassador' for pubs.

He begins by coming out in support of The Publican's Proud of Pubs campaign. "As a publican, how could I not support Proud of Pubs?" he asks. "Pubs offer incredible choice, a chance to socialise in a pleasant environment and to drink responsibly.

"Pubs are far more than just drinking establishments now."

There are obvious links, he goes on to argue, between pubs and rugby, a popular sport increasingly bringing significant numbers of drinkers to the bar. Dallaglio is far from alone among rugby players in knowing a thing or two about drinking in pubs.

However, it would be foolish to apply the stereotype of a lairy, boozy lump to the former captain of England and London club side Wasps. His playing career spanned the tumultuous era in which English rugby turned professional, and it suggests he is well prepared to bring a conscientious work ethic to new roles in the licensed trade that undoubtedly also involve a great deal of pleasure.

From the mid-1990s, much of the drinking culture was ironed out of the game's top flight. The new breed of player was forced to acquire a steely sense of professionalism, but - with an old-school love of an after-match drink already ingrained from their early playing days - Dallaglio's generation let the good times coexist with the punishing training regime.

His autobiography is full of these kinds of stories - such as the time a veteran player persuaded a young Dallaglio to follow an all-night session with a gruelling run on the beach followed by a swim in which they were painfully stung by jellyfish. He adds proudly that, after England's World Cup win in Australia in 2003, "my feet didn't touch the floor for about four days. We visited nearly every bar on one coast of Sydney".

"Rugby had to change but it was important that some of it, not least the drinking culture, stayed," Dallaglio says. "Rugby and pubs have a very good synergy because the spirit and camaraderie of playing rugby, including the level I played at, are all about having a good match and then all going down the pub afterwards and having a pint or two."

The rugby community remains an important customer base for pubs, then, and in this sense Dallaglio can play a valuable role in recruiting more of its members. He also has some strong views on what pubs must do to survive. "It used to be the case that everyone had a pub on their doorstep," he says. "People's social lives revolved a lot more around them, meeting their mates or their parents down the pub or Christmas Day being in the pub. Cultures are changing, family values are changing and how we're using pubs is very different now from how we used to."

His response to this is that pubs should differentiate themselves, with some filling certain roles and others catering to very different audiences. "You can enjoy different pubs for what they have to offer," he says. "We've got a pub which we like, but there are many more all around the country offering different things to different people."

It seems he does bring something to the pub trade's own scrum. And, anyway, who's to argue with a man who once carried five Welshmen on his back on the way to scoring a try?

Stand-out moments from Dallaglio's rugby career…

and what they might suggest about his abilities as a publican

• Makes decisive break in the 2003 World Cup final. Half-tackled, skilfully throws an outrageous pass over his right shoulder as England go on to score a try.

What it suggests: Precise execution under pressure, unafraid to make unorthodox decisions that could result in success - useful when planning a snacks range.

• In the 2000 season, Dallaglio breaks from a scrum and marauds through most of the Welsh team to touch down from 20 yards out. Five members of the opposition clinging to his back can't stop him.

What it suggests: Prepared to get through a heck of a lot of work for success, useful at shifting barrels around the cellar.

• Held on the ground, Dallaglio aims a punch at South Africa's Thinus Delport, who requires stitches. Dallaglio miraculously avoids any punishment from rugby's lawmakers.

What it suggests: Unlikely to need to employ doormen at the Havelock.