7 November 2011
In 2008 Nigel Owens refereed the Heineken Cup final between Munster and Toulouse and took control of the final the following year, this time between Leinster and Leicester. He remains the only official to referee two successive Heineken Cup finals.
Click read more to see our interview with Nigel Owens and find out what he thinks about current rugby laws, his experiences being a referee and more.
Which young rugby players do you think will be big names one day?
"The likes of George North from Wales is a young and up-and-coming one, he’s already quite well known and he’s only 19 so he will be a big name for the future. People like Sam Warburton, they are only young players but they are established already now."
"The likes of George North from Wales is a young and up-and-coming one, he’s already quite well known and he’s only 19 so he will be a big name for the future. People like Sam Warburton, they are only young players but they are established already now."
Which rugby ground is the hardest to referee at?
"It tends to be a lot to do with the actual fixture itself rather than the ground. I have done refereeing at Twickenham with England against South Africa which would be very difficult. I could be at Thomond Park with Munster and Northampton or I could be at Ospreys v Cardiff.
The answer to that would be it depends on who is playing, but a lot of the grounds when they are full have a great atmosphere so I couldn’t really tell you one because there are so many. Some of the of the grounds in South Africa are difficult, in New Zealand it’s difficult and Ireland, they are all difficult depending on what fixture it is, what competition and who is playing."
"It tends to be a lot to do with the actual fixture itself rather than the ground. I have done refereeing at Twickenham with England against South Africa which would be very difficult. I could be at Thomond Park with Munster and Northampton or I could be at Ospreys v Cardiff.
The answer to that would be it depends on who is playing, but a lot of the grounds when they are full have a great atmosphere so I couldn’t really tell you one because there are so many. Some of the of the grounds in South Africa are difficult, in New Zealand it’s difficult and Ireland, they are all difficult depending on what fixture it is, what competition and who is playing."
Do you think there are any laws that referees should enforce more?
"Yes, we should be better on the scrum-half putting the ball in the scrum and we need to be stricter on front-row players when they collapse the scrum."
"Yes, we should be better on the scrum-half putting the ball in the scrum and we need to be stricter on front-row players when they collapse the scrum."
If you could change one rugby law, what would it be and why?
"I would change the law that when the ball is available at the base of the ruck, the scrum-half should use it straight away because when you look at some of the games now, the ball is at the base of the ruck and the scrum-half is there and instead of playing the ball he is calling people in and waiting and the ball would come slow and then the opposition start pushing back and forth so once the ball is available at the ruck they should bring in the law that the referee says ‘use it’ and then they have got to use it straight away."
"I would change the law that when the ball is available at the base of the ruck, the scrum-half should use it straight away because when you look at some of the games now, the ball is at the base of the ruck and the scrum-half is there and instead of playing the ball he is calling people in and waiting and the ball would come slow and then the opposition start pushing back and forth so once the ball is available at the ruck they should bring in the law that the referee says ‘use it’ and then they have got to use it straight away."
Did you play rugby before you became a referee?
"Yes, I played until I was 16 at school in the first 15 and I played full-back... but I wasn't very good!"
"Yes, I played until I was 16 at school in the first 15 and I played full-back... but I wasn't very good!"
What is the best rugby match you have ever refereed?
"That’s a tough one. There have been a couple, I would say Munster v Leinster in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup in 2009 at Croke Park which is still a record crowd for a club match with 83,000, so that was one great match and occasion. And then I would say New Zealand v South Africa last year in the tri-nations which was the first ever rugby game to be played in Soweto."
"That’s a tough one. There have been a couple, I would say Munster v Leinster in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup in 2009 at Croke Park which is still a record crowd for a club match with 83,000, so that was one great match and occasion. And then I would say New Zealand v South Africa last year in the tri-nations which was the first ever rugby game to be played in Soweto."
Which team do you believe is the strongest in Europe?
"I think the strongest side this year in Europe will probably be Wales."
Comment your thoughts on our interview below!
"I think the strongest side this year in Europe will probably be Wales."
