The Bachelor Nick Cummins - 'I'm Ready To Propose'

Aussie rugby union fans know him as hard-hitting larrikin The Honey Badger, but it turns out Nick is a total softie – now that he’s found The One

It’s just after 6pm and we’re being rushed into the backseat of a hire car with the new Bachelor Nick “The Honey Badger” Cummins en route to a promotional event for his upcoming season. He’s looking down at his knees and picking at the label on a water bottle, refusing to make eye contact.

“Going into the show, I would say that I would not propose – not in a million years. Since actually living it, well, you’ll have to wait to see...” he trails off as a smile creeps across his face, which only hints to us that if he hasn’t already got down on one knee, he’s about to.

Nick is clearly a man in love, however he won’t admit to it. When we ask if he’s found The One, he laughs.

“Without giving too much away, I’ve got a much better understanding now of what love is to me... and any other information will be found out on the show,” he says with a wink.

Thirty-year-old Nick is unlike any Bachelor who has come before us.

He’s 6”2, 99kg of solid muscle and has a fuzzy moustache and a mop of curls he refuses to tame.

“One of the most annoying parts of being on The Bachelor is they made me shampoo my hair,” he huffs, giving his tendrils a shake. And unlike the traditionally handsome city dwellers from seasons’ past – Tim Robards, Sam Wood and Matty Johnson, we’re looking at you – The Honey Badger prefers a life off the grid.

Yep, after 10 years in the spotlight as a famous rugby union player kicking goals for Australia’s national team the Wallabies and posing for selfies with loads of fans, Nick now craves a much quieter life, getting lost in the bush – and spending days on end naked in isolated caves.