Nigel Owens facts for kids
Owens officiating a 2016 United Rugby Championship match
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| Birth name | Nigel Owens |
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| Date of birth | 18 June 1971 |
| Place of birth | Mynyddcerrig, Carmarthenshire, Wales |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, rugby union referee, match commentator |
Nigel Owens, MBE (born 18 June 1971) is a Welsh former international rugby union referee. He stopped refereeing in December 2020 after a 23-year career. He once held the world record for refereeing the most international rugby matches. Many people think he is one of the best rugby referees ever.
Owens is also known for being a television personality. He presents shows on S4C, a Welsh language TV channel. These shows include Jonathan and Bwrw'r Bar ('Hitting the Bar'). He also hosts his own quiz show called Munud i Fynd ('A Minute to Go'). In 2011, he became a member of the Gorsedd Cymru, which celebrates Welsh culture.
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Early Life and Background
Nigel Owens was born and grew up in a village called Mynyddcerrig. This village is near Cross Hands in Carmarthenshire, Wales. He speaks Welsh very well.
Before becoming a full-time referee, he worked as a school technician. He also worked with young people as a youth worker. For over a year, he worked on a farm as a farmhand.
Refereeing Career Highlights
Owens started refereeing rugby games in 1987. His sports teacher suggested he try it after a school match. His very first game was an under-15s match when he was 16 years old.
Early Professional Years
Owens made his first appearance in a European club rugby match in 2001. He refereed a game between London Irish and Piacenza. In October 2001, he became one of the first professional referees for the Welsh Rugby Union. He then started refereeing in the top European club competition, the Heineken Cup, in 2002. Later that year, he also began refereeing in the Celtic League.
From 2002 to 2005, Owens regularly refereed matches in the World Rugby Sevens Series. His first international 15-a-side match was in 2003, between Portugal and Georgia. In 2005, he refereed his first major international game, when Ireland played Japan.
Big Matches and Milestones
In 2006, Owens refereed his first play-off match in the European Challenge Cup. The next year, he refereed a semi-final and the final of that competition. He also refereed his first Six Nations Championship game (England vs. Italy) and his first Tri Nations game (New Zealand vs. Australia) in 2007.
Owens made his Rugby World Cup debut in 2007. He was the only Welsh referee at that World Cup. He refereed three matches during the group stage.
Refereeing Finals
Owens refereed the 2007–08 Heineken Cup final, becoming the third Welsh referee to do so. He refereed the final again the next year, which was a rare achievement. In 2009, he also refereed a match during the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
He officiated at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, including a quarter-final match. He was also an assistant referee in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final. In 2012, he refereed his third Heineken Cup final.
Breaking Records
In 2013, Owens refereed his 100th Pro12 game. He also became the Welsh referee with the most international appointments, passing Derek Bevan's record. By 2015, he had refereed more European Rugby Champions Cup/Heineken Cup matches than anyone else. He refereed the final of that competition in 2015, and also the 2015 Pro12 Grand Final.
Owens was part of the referee team for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He refereed three group matches, including a big game between France and Ireland. He then refereed the 2015 Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia. This made him only the second Welsh referee to officiate a World Cup final. He won the World Rugby Referee Award in 2015 for his excellent work.
In 2016, Owens became the most-capped rugby referee in the world. He took charge of a game between Fiji and Tonga, breaking Jonathan Kaplan's record of 70 international matches.
Retirement from International Rugby
On 15 April 2017, Owens refereed his 150th Pro12 game. On 28 November 2020, he refereed his 100th international match. This made him the first referee to reach this amazing milestone. Two weeks later, he announced he was retiring from international refereeing. He continued to referee club matches in Wales for a while after that.
Life Outside Rugby
Nigel Owens is a well-known face on Welsh television. He presents chat shows like Jonathan and Bwrw'r Bar on S4C. He also hosts a quiz show called Munud i Fynd.
He owns a cattle farm in his home village of Mynyddcerrig. In 2021, he was featured on the BBC farming programme Countryfile.
His book, Hanner Amser (which means "Half Time"), was published in Welsh in 2008 and in English in 2009. He also appears on the BBC Radio 5 Live show by Scott Mills and Chris Stark. On this show, he acts as a "Real Life TMO" (Television Match Official), helping to settle funny arguments between listeners.
Personal Life and Recognition
Nigel Owens is a patron of the Wooden Spoon Society, a rugby charity that helps disadvantaged children. He is also a patron of the Bullies Out charity in Wales.
In 2011, he was made a member of the Gorsedd of Bards, which is a special honour in Wales. In 2016, he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to sport. He also received an honorary award from Cardiff University in the same year.
Owens has been involved with the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, serving as secretary, chairman, and president. He is also a big fan of Wrexham Football Club.
He is married to Barrie Jones-Davies, who is a primary school teacher. They were married on 10 August 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Nigel Owens para niños
- Rugby union match officials
