Nigel Owens

Who is Nigel Owens?

Nigel Owens is a Welsh international rugby union referee. He is an international and Heineken Cup referee and was the only Welsh referee at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, as well as the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Owens was appointed as an international referee in 2005, and that year officiated his first international between Ireland and Japan in Osaka. Owens made his World Cup debut in Lyon, France on 11 September 2007 in the Argentina vs. Georgia match. He is one of only two referees to be appointed to referee two consecutive Heineken Cup finals: Munster v Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium in 2008; and Leicester Tigers v Leinster at Murrayfield in 2009.

He is one of the presenters on the Welsh language TV chats shows Jonathan and Bwrw'r Bar. In 2011 he was made a member of the Gorsedd of Bards.

In January 2012 Owens made the headlines by addressing Treviso scrum-half Tobias Botes for continually yelling in protest by ending with the words "This is not soccer!", which then instantly became popular amongst some rugby fans.