All Black glamour couple's extraordinary encounter

Carl Hayman and wife Natalie Crook. Photo / Supplied

When former All Black Carl Hayman and his TV presenter wife Natalie Crook move from England to France, they'll be farewelling a famous neighbour - troubled British football idol Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne.

This week Hayman dismayed the Kiwi rugby world after turning his back on the offer of an All Blacks jersey - and a shot at the World Cup next year - instead signing a lucrative deal with Tana Umaga's former club Toulon.

His decision is a blow to All Blacks coach Graham Henry and the NZRU, which made what is thought to be a $700,000-a-year offer to the tighthead prop.

The Toulon offer is thought to be $600,000 more.

Yesterday from their home in Newcastle, Crook - a former TVNZ reporter and weather presenter - laughed at her encounters with Gazza, who has been plagued in recent years by drink and drug addiction.

"One day he locked himself out of his flat," she recalled.

Crook invited Gascoigne in for a cup of tea and called the landlord to let him in.

"He came back with this big tray of Indian takeout. It was, like, about two days old. He was just being kind. I think he just wanted to give us something to say 'thanks'.

"I think he'd had a big night out on the booze, you know ..."

Crook and Hayman, who married last year in Taranaki, live in a large, old homestead in England's northeast, which has been converted into flats.

Gascoigne lives in the next-door flat.

"He is a bit troubled ... if he knew I was a journalist he would die. I mean, he lives right through the wall."

Crook said she and Hayman were looking forward to the move to France, and she is already learning French. But she added the move "definitely wasn't just my decision".

Hayman told a newspaper journalist earlier this week that Crook was "pretty happy" about the move to the warmer French climate.

"She's pretty excited about heading over there - and it's the old story, happy wife, happy life."

Crook: "I don't know where Carl got that from. He just plucked it out of the air."

She had told him the comment was "a bit flippant".

"The next time I see Graham Henry the whole nation will think it was my decision," she laughs.

"I'm scared I will get a dressing down by Ted [Henry]."

Crook was presenting and reporting TV news in Newcastle. But since work for freelance journalists dried up with the recession, she has been studying for a diploma in image consulting.

"It's like training to be a Trinny and Susannah.

"I thought it would be a good thing when I came back."

As for the World Cup, Hayman had accepted he would not be wearing an All Blacks jersey next year.

He did not regret his decision to play in France, she said.

"You have to move on and Carl said he has already played 50 games for the All Blacks and he is playing every minute of every game."