Ray Warren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ray Warren
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Statue of Warren in Junee NSW
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| Born | 11 June 1943 Junee, New South Wales, Australia
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| Other names | Rabbits, Rabs, The Voice of Rugby League |
| Citizenship | Australian |
| Occupation | Sports commentator |
| Years active | 1967–2022 |
| Spouse(s) | Cher Warren |
| Children | Chris Warren (son) Holly Warren (daughter) Mark Warren (son) |
Raymond Warren (born 11 June 1943) is a famous Australian sports commentator. He is best known for his exciting calls of professional rugby league matches on the Nine Network. People often call him "The Voice of Rugby League."
Ray Warren commentated on 99 State of Origin games. He also called 45 NRL Grand Finals, which are huge rugby league events. Before focusing mainly on rugby league, he also commentated on Australian swimming events.
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Ray Warren's Career Journey
Ray Warren was born in Junee, New South Wales, Australia, on 11 June 1943. He first followed his brother into the police force. He joined the NSW Police Cadets in 1960 and later worked for the ACT Police in Canberra.
While working as a police officer, Ray got a phone call that changed his life. He had been trying to get a job at radio stations since he was a teenager. This call offered him a job at 2LF Young, New South Wales. He started as a sales representative and also commentated on horse racing and rugby league. This was the beginning of his long career in broadcasting.
Starting in Television
Ray Warren began commentating on television in 1974. He worked on the Amco Cup for Channel Ten with Keith Barnes. In 1980, Channel Ten asked him to commentate on the Melbourne Cup, a famous horse race. He called three Melbourne Cups for the network.
By 1983, he became Channel Ten's main rugby league commentator. In 1986, he left the network. Channel Ten wanted to replace him with former international player Rex Mossop.
Moving to the Nine Network
After leaving Channel Ten, Ray Warren continued to call horse races for six years. In 1988, the Nine Network hired him. He commentated on the 1988 Rugby League World Cup final and the 1989 State of Origin series. He also joined Nine's team for swimming coverage at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Nine Network bought the TV rights for rugby league in 1991. Since then, Ray Warren has been their main rugby league commentator. He used to be very afraid of flying. However, he has gradually overcome this fear. This allowed him to travel to places like New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Japan for his commentary work.
Ray's Commentary Style
Ray Warren is famous for his passionate and exciting commentary. He often had friendly arguments with fellow commentator Phil Gould during games. These arguments were usually about players or rugby league rules. His voice became very well-known for important rugby league matches in Australia. He was also known for how easily he could take over from other commentators when something exciting happened on the field.
Ray Warren also worked on radio shows. He was part of "Dead Set Legends" on Triple M Sydney. He also contributed to Melbourne's Sport 927. He was a footy-tip expert for Newcastle's radio station NXFM.
Retirement and Recognition
On 6 August 2011, a bronze statue of Ray Warren was put up in his hometown of Junee. This showed how much he was respected. In August 2019, he was honored by being inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame.
The 2021 NRL Grand Final was Ray Warren's last game as a commentator. He officially announced his retirement on 1 June 2022. Even after retiring, he provided mock commentary for a fictional State of Origin match in an episode of the children's animated series Bluey in 2022.
Ray Warren's Family Life
Ray Warren and his wife, Cher, live in Castle Hill, a suburb of Sydney. They have a daughter named Holly. Their son, Chris, also works in rugby league broadcasting for 2GB Sydney and Fox Sports News. Ray even commentated on a match where Chris was playing in the early 1990s.
Their other son, Mark, is also involved in broadcasting. He works as a broadcaster, actor, voice actor, and presenter. Ray Warren also played rugby league himself, playing wing for the Quirindi Grasshoppers.
