By Katie Grant for The Independent

Vying for the title of Father of the Year?

England rugby star Ben Foden has said he is just as happy changing nappies as he is on the pitch. The father-of-one, who is fronting a Government drive to encourage fathers to play a greater role in raising their babies, isn’t afraid to roll his sleeves up and immerse himself in parenthood.

What did he say?

“In this day and age women can just as easily be the main breadwinner as men,” said the 29-year-old Northampton Saints fullback, who has a two-year-old daughter, Aoife Belle, with his wife, Saturdays singer Una, whom he married in 2012. “Why should they have to give up their careers when they have children?” he told The Sunday Times.

Makes a nice change from some of those famously “hands-off” celebrity dads out there…

Prior to the birth of his first child last year, music mogul Simon Cowell made it clear he would not be sharing nappy duties with his partner Lauren Silverman. Cowell said: “I’m not doing that, 100 per cent absolutely not going near that.”

Right…

Changes to the law allowing parents to share leave to raise their newborn come into force on 5 April. Up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay can now be shared between parents.