American Coach Reaction to Nigel Owens being Nigel Owens: The Referee Grand Master

American Coach Reaction to Nigel Owens being Nigel Owens: The Referee Grand Master
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[@djembemed3562]

What made Nigels comment about “I’m straighter than that one” is that he is openly gay. He come out a number of years ago and is loved by the whole rugby community for his courageous ness and obviously his refereeing ability’ and communication skills. He just recently retired from the game and will be sorely missed by all.

[@suffern63]

People like Nigel Owens do more to end prejudice against people than a million cancel something or other campaigns.His story about thinking about suicide was very hard to listen to.The most important thing about,however,was that he was not just someone who loved to be the centre of attention,like some refs,but that he was good at his job,even if he did allow them to get away with murder when putting the ball at the scrums...the put ins are completely crooked nowadays,dare I say bent?

[@bobbobskin]

@@suffern63 *going to keep this one short-ish... just finished a 80 page letter of complaint to customs for maladministration*. I'd say, (from watching games at all levels which he has been the ref for) Nigel has always been one of the fairest and most respected ref's in the game. It is an almost blanket rule, applicable in both major codes of Rugby (League (and the variant games such as Touch Rugby League) and Union (along with the variant games, such as 7's)), from the "little leagues" through club level, oldies and all the way through to the grandest and most high stakes international "conflicts" between nations (played for the glory, pride and to settle old scores), that the ref is always respected by the players and fans, obeyed without question, and the ref's decisions are accepted gracefully. Now, people will tell you, it's because that's taught from the very first day... and to a certain extent it's the case, but one can be rather more pragmatic about it. The Ref in Rugby has a great deal of power, and can penalise the entire team, very easily. Yellow card a player and the team will all have to play with a man down for 10 minutes. Red card the player, and they might play the rest of the game a man down, plus not be able to use that player. Argue with the ref and he can simply walk the ball down the field benefiting the other side, pretty much at whim, whilst you argue. If you don't like that, and a player lays his hands on the ref, don't be fretting about what the other side will be doing, as it's the players *own* team are going to be taking action, and even if it was "minor" the player will not be playing any code of rugby, ever, period, at any level, ever (like... ever). Given that Rugby is an incredibly physical, full contact, "violent" game, with lots of big boys all hyped up, it's frankly amazing how few "hits" you get when you search "rugby player hit ref" on google... and when it happens, players should be looking at a career ending suspension (10+ years or more) www.ruck.co.uk/list-5-times-rugby-referees-got-into-fights/ Now something you will note, is that the Ref talks to the Captains, and the players involved. This is both good protocol, but also serves to make clear that the *team* will suffer for a player's misbehaviour. Captains will often talk to the ref, in advance, to clarify certain specific laws and loopholes, prior to a game, which they intend on "bending", to ensure that they are "on the same page", as to the legality of their understanding. Nigel lives on his farm, with his husband if I recall correctly (same sex marriages are legal in the UK) and plays an active role still, with World Rugby, following his retirement. He is so highly respected that he is one of the few ref's (as far as I know) who has ever officiated high stakes international games where his own nations team is competing.

[@suffern63]

@@bobbobskin I'm not sure if you reply falls within the legal description of "ish." but I read it all.

[@chrisr2543]

I laughed so suddenly and so hard when I heard that comment (when watching the game live) that I must have lost half a pint of lager, mostly through my nose! It's a shame Nigel Owens has retired as he will be sorely missed: one of the fairest and most respected referees the game has seen in recent memory and 100% definitely the best put-downs! The sexuality thing shouldn't even come into it, but all the more respect for him leading the way in coming out as he did.

[@patrickelliott-brennan8960]

@@suffern63 It's actually untrue what you wrote. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWG4eX-pgNasd8k He has benefited from many many people standing up and complaining. What you call 'cancelling' something is exactly the action that's been required to make it so that he and others like him can be free from bigotry. If it wasn't for all the others, he'd have never got the position he did. It took centuries of people being legally and violently abused and centuries of people standing up and opposing it for any of this to happen. It doesn't matter how smart, clever, intelligent, polite or civilised someone is, the bigots have to be called out and put in their place. Alan Turing was one of the smartest people in the UK and he was still viciously treated.

[@ricoabby]

Owens speaks openly about his suicide attempt in 1997 as he was struggling to accept his own sexuality. Imagine all the classic moments of class, humour and sharp wit we would have missed. He also stated that while refereeing a world cup final was great, the best moment of his life was when he was told by a parent that by his example he had saved her gay teen sons life.

[@andi4022]

Everybody who struggles with sexuality should be inspired by Nigel. Yes, maybe there are people who will turn away from you, but there are a lot of people who don't care about who you love, just about who you ARE! And those will love you even more for beeing strong and brave. And those "normal people" who have a problem with homosexuality... Look how the player interact with Nigel... He is respected, he is loved, he is admired by thousands and thousands. He is not "tolerated" * He is a very very precious PART of us. *I hate it, when somebody says "I tolerate gay people". It implies that it is a "malfunction" or something like that and him/her beeing so generous to ignore it. That's why I say Nigel is not "tolerated"... English is not my language, so I hope you know what I mean 😊

[@cezjon1]

@@andi4022 not only his sexuallity, but his bulimia as well, both were big factors in his suicide attempt, both of which he's open about and is an advocate for people with eating disorders

[@andi4022]

@@cezjon1 you are right. I forgot about it.

[@Rathardican]

Did he? I never knew. A fabulous man and superb ref

[@matthewcullen1298]

That's truly sad. I grew up In a Christian home and was taught to avoid gay people. I'm ashamed to say I only become comfortable around gay people as I reached maturity and realised people's sexuality had nothing to do with what sort of person they were. I realised it had nothing to do with me and didn't effect me in any way. Now I couldn't give a shot and I'm happy to have gay friends. Sad that religion often breeds hate and contempt. Happy to say I'm atheist these days and I just accept others for their attitude towards others

[@dellonman]

Most English would be comfortable Nigel refereeing England v Wales. He is that good.

[@rocky3268]

Agree 💯 with that Comment, Best Referee in the World 🌎👌🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿✌🏻

[@Goggin68]

same with us up here in Scotland shame soccer referees arent like him

[@Vs3vs3]

New Zealand loves Nigel too!

[@Fishbowl50]

I think pretty much any country would be happy to have him ref

[@tangled3349]

As an English supporter, I agree

[@Westcountrynordic]

One thing that was never really covered by the media is that every time Nigel went to a country to referee an international match he would visit local schools and host a coaching sessions

[@ianmarsden1130]

He is a great ambassador for our sport.

[@gillesmatheronpro]

When working for the RWC 2007, I saw him speaking with the young ball-kids before a game. They were like fans of a music band, and he was so nice with them just by treating them with due respect. Soft power, spirit-keeper, game manager... he had it all !

[@MrT67]

He did the same in New Zealand after he retired, not only coached, but reffed a first fifteen schools match. It shows how good he was as a ref. You couldn't get away with the humour he used and the direct speaking to players that he employed, if you didn't know the rules as well as he did and didn't have a great eye for play.

[@1thornham]

Best referee for rugby and it’s a shame he has retired. A true honest Welshman who was king at his profession. 👍🏻👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@MKRM27]

Biggest egomaniac, doing what he could to get himself on TV as much as possible. The best referee to me, would be one that you barely notice.

[@RazorMouth]

Agreed but he's left a positive mark for those that take his place 🇮🇪

[@RazorMouth]

@@MKRM27 he became popular not just because of his one liners, his fairness and decisions speak for themselves along with his game management, which is needed in Rugby. As Nigel says himself, this is not Soccer.

[@jbosco3970]

not just rugby - across all sports - one of the best

[@ianmarsden1130]

He is the best ref I have ever seen. A great feel for the game, talks to the players like they are people, consistent, no arrogance, great humour and is respected rather than demanding respect. I played for 35 years and I'm English. Best ref ever.

[@samsowden]

In any game, not just rugby

[@user-ge8cx5yx7n]

Love Nigel! ❤❤From New Zealand. Arohanui..........Much love Nigel!❤

[@adrianfeek7424]

This guy is a total legend and he will do sorely missed now he's retired

[@GarethT902]

Still reffing at local level in Wales

[@bcatrxsuspensiontrainingfi5810]

@@GarethT902 qu o our CCG be du in my in h pa this b puli utvbv lthe YC gvi bc o blaxploitation C bd to b i n

[@thomaslaing5854]

Yeah he's still refereeing but not internationally I belive

[@matthewkeating5963]

Absolute Legend.

[@MarkTrudgeonRulez]

He has become a pundit now on TV, adds a new dimension to rugby coverage having a refs perspective.

[@liamevans9815]

"You're hard lads. You'll be treated like it, as long as you behave like it." Have you noticed all those gigantic human beings all call him "sir" and then walk away sheepishly after speaking to him. That, my friends, is respect.

[@TheClunkingFist]

Yes, the Eng v France game: all the naughty boys waited their turn, and stepped up promptly when he called them forward.

[@AshboNZ86]

Players have been the ref Sir since forever

[@jamesbarber9033]

There is a lot of honor and respect in Rugby Union. You do something disgraceful in public life, be prepared to be ejected or at the very least severely punished by your club.

[@stevefowler3398]

That is the normal courtesy in rugby to a referee.

[@Nick_Jones]

What people forget is that arguing with the ref can be penalised. The amount of times my team have stayed quiet, and the other team have argued only to give our team a 10m reward.

[@riaanclaasen2103]

You wont find any other sport as tough, passionate, and physical that gives referees that level of respect anywhere else in the world of sports. One of the reasons I LOVE RUGBY.

[@edemoi3817]

Naturelly. This is why I played 12 years rugby. It is hard and painfull. But you do no touche the referee.

[@richardparnell7584]

You have to love the Rugby sense of humour. The referee's sponsorship is "Specsavers" . Nothing better than an eye glasses company to sponsor the referee's.

[@peterhoz]

They also sponsor the umpires in the AFL here in Australia

[@CaitSithDubh]

And also the referees in the Scottish Premiership since 2002. Not denying the humour in rugby, but it might be more about the canniness of the specsavers marketing department.

[@Chaddlee]

I love the fact that he speaks to Chris Robshaw and uses his full name, and that it makes him stop in his tracks. Chris Robshaw is an absolute unit as well but he knew when to shut up.

[@lordomacron3719]

Aye you know your in troulbe when your FULL name comes out see how chris instanly left. My name is Kristopher and hearing my full name form my parent s was never a good sign and if My firs middle and last name was shouted i jut ran.

[@chrisbrace2204]

@@lordomacron3719 same here, he said Christopher and I had to check it wasn't me in trouble

[@geoffpoole483]

I think one of the opposing players told Robshaw to stop.

[@simonwellsted]

He once refed a Wales game guy did something "we are both from the same town" his reply and if you keep this up there will be one of us from [insert town name] on this pitch.

[@tomwallace4064]

That was Dwayne Peel and the village was Pontyberem.

[@ozludo]

"Come back in 2 weeks" - the game was at Wembley, and 2 weeks later there was a soccer fixture

[@romelnegut2005]

No, the game was played at St. James Park.

[@paulj7736]

@@romelnegut2005 Agreed, it was during the 2015 World Cup when a lot of stadia were associated with football/soccer.

[@romelnegut2005]

@@paulj7736 Yes.

[@chrisr2543]

u got the wrong venue, but the message was accurate "come back here in two weeks when the soccer is on if you want to flop about on the floor pretending you've been fouled": just pure classic Nigel!

[@CelticMorning]

Not just a great ref. A great human being.

[@-Yogo]

Nigel absolutely LOVED the game ... he wasn't going to let anyone ruin it. You could often watch him ref a U18 club game on a Saturday, and ref an international fixture on the Sunday. The man is a legend. He'll be sorely missed on the pitch, but I hope he trains some good up-and-coming refs for the future.

[@cogidubnus1953]

Until his retirement, the most highly respected ref in the Rugby business - these are big hard blokes and there's no room for sodding about...you did NOT mess with Nigel...

[@andyh6849]

The best to ever do it... smallest man on the pitch and no-one would mess with him more than once... massive respect from all players all around the world...simply for being fair at all times, firm when he needed to be, and just being damn good at his job

[@Not_A_Cat]

"I'm straighter than that one" is still the best referee line, EVER! Obviously, he's openly gay.

[@wayno5655]

Nigel Owens is a goddamn legend! He's come out as gay so the 'I'm straighter than that one" is just classic. A great man of our game. Retired now but by far the most competent professional ref of international rugby.

[@dabruscar]

Remember when he gave the ball boy the card, he actually sent that boy his jersey the week after. Gentleman.

[@lenarobinson]

Nigel Owens is an absolute legend. He is sorely missed reffing games. It’s just not the same without him. Thanks for checking him out 😊

[@elizabethwilliams1941]

I'm English and only really discovered rugby when I went to Uni in south Wales. Nigel Owens is just a legend. Like someone said, you could trust him to referee anyone and he'd be so fair. He doesn't care about who you are, he cares about the game. Respect,

[@paulmulryne8405]

He’s massively missed. He makes constant references to football / soccer because their refs get no respect and often outright abuse. It very rarely happens in rugby.

[@bobbobskin]

I've alluded in another comment to the underlying reason that in football/soccer their refs get little to no respect. In Rugby, respect for the ref is both an underlying expectation at all levels, for everyone involved, AND pragmatically, in rugby, getting on the wrong side of the Ref almost guarantees your team will face a monumental hurdle - when the ref decides to "work to rule" and strictly enforces every rule to the letter. Most good ref's in Rugby are "lenient", enforcing the spirit of the laws, rather than enforcing every law to the letter all the time. When 2 players, away from the ball, are engaged in a "constructive and positive discussion" to settle a dispute about whether the tackle they were involved in was excessively late (say when the tackle happened 30 seconds after the player had passed the ball) (often these "discussions" aka "extra curricular activities" involve players holding each others jerseys whilst "trading a word or two") - so long as it's not likely to cause a brawl (something which is likely to happen if the incident was too outrageous or if the players are too physically mismatched) a good ref is more than likely to ensure his attention remains focused on the action where the ball is, rather than calling a penalty.

[@RHP-pw8xt]

The reference to soccer is actually designed to belittle the rugby players behaviour and bring him back into line. Reverse psychology.

[@nirfz]

@@bobbobskin While i can't fault what you describe about Rugby (not knowing enough but enjoying watching it more than football in the last 10 years whenever i can. ->WorldCups), you are missing the football side on your explanation on why football referees get no respect. In Football disrespect of the referee is also to be punished. Any player who disrespects the ref can get at minimum a yellow card. If you stall the game, if you use bad language....When i was a kid, we learned "the referee is air" meaning that when he accidently gets hit by the ball that's just bad luck and the game doesn't stop. But when you purposefully shoot the ball at the ref to hit him, he isn't "air", you get a red card. So the ref would have all the same possibilities to make sure he gets respected. They however rarely use it or don't use it at all. But why don't they? I stopped watching Football some time ago because i dislike the behavior of all the involved. Be it refeees punishing only fouls from one side, or those of one side harder, be it players who pretend to get fouled, or secretly try to hurt opponents. (Or even openly like Luis Suarez who i would have blocked for life for his biting attacks long ago) Be it the Diva-like big headed behaviour most players show on and off the grass, be it the disrespectfull and often idiotic behaviour the fans or supposed to be fans show, or be it the behaviour of highest FIFA and UEFA officials.

[@loquayrocks]

@@nirfz it comes from the origins of the two sports. Rugby came out of the upper class boarding schools and was spread through the military. Often the referees were teachers (or school masters) and in the military, they were officers so calling the ref "sir" was quite normal. Showing disrespect to the ref could be punished off the pitch. Football (soccer to some) was more of a working class game and the referee was often one of the locals whom everyone knew and he wasn't a person of power off the pitch. I went to one of those boarding schools and respect for the ref was drilled into us. Answering back or failing to call him sir, I could be punished after the game (as well as during it), even if the ref was from another school. This ethos continued into club rugby where most of the old boys went if they didn't join the army. remember the phrase "Rugby, a game for hooligans played by gentlemen. Football, a game for gentlemen played by hooligans"

[@nirfz]

@@loquayrocks Thanks. I find it interesting that it stayed that way on an international level. I have no idea who the referees for football initially were. But when we played football in school it usually was a teacher and you better acted respectfull towards him. (we still had an extra mark for behavior, on our semester reports)

[@micheinnz]

I must admit that after the "You're all adults... " speech, I was waiting for the most devastating line of all: "I'm not angry, I'm disappointed."

[@stanlefort8584]

Best quote from Nigel: "this is not soccer" and "I am straighter that this throw" 🤣

[@joncarter9041]

A Legend throughout the world of rugby.

[@gavinpotts6747]

He reminds me of another of his countrymen Clive Norling.

[@Deebemc]

I was lousy at rugby at school. But from day one, the refs word was absolute. Diss a decision and the penalty moved upfield 10 metres. Your team mates didnt like that. You really could rely on a home teams referee to be scrupulously fair. The guy who slugged you during the game would shake your hand at the end, clap your team off the pitch and when I was older, buy you a beer in the clubhouse. That’s sport.

[@MikeRotch23]

This man has the respect of the biggest and tallest players in this game... His approach to the boys is insanely funny 🤣🤣🤣

[@redkiwi5980]

NIgel Owens was by far my favorite referee. He was a class act and proper witty. He treated everyone with respect and demanded the same from the players. Thanks for the video :)

[@keithtattershall]

In the game of rugby, a trickle of blood is known as”red sweat”

[@scottythompson3957]

In Australia we simply say "A bit of Claret there"

[@olliemoffat4025]

The best ref in the game. 1st ref to take charge of 100 International games, and as far as I believe the 1st openly gay person to still be involved with the game. He is loved by everyone. If you fancy a good reaction to a single game, look at the England Scotland game from 2019. Mind blowing stuff that one. Keep up the good work mate. From Scotland

[@CoachTube]

Thank you for the comment Ollie, I believe I seen that game a few days ago, what a comeback!

[@chuckyboy6977]

I’m not sure what you mean by the 1st person to be openly gay, he was the 1st person to be involved in elite level rugby. But there was a gay touring team back in the late 80’s early 90’s. The Club fixtures secretary at my old club booked a game with them but just told the guys they were just a touring team. It wasn’t until after the game and everyone was showered, dressed and in the bar that the touring team captain said” Thank you for the game today, we’re not had many replies to our letters for fixtures, it seems no one wants to play against an openly gay team”.

[@olliemoffat4025]

@@chuckyboy6977 I stand corrected. Thank for keeping me in the right :)

[@neilhughes4363]

@@chuckyboy6977 There was also Gareth Thomas who captained the Wales rugby team who came out while still playing. I believe the first pro athlete in any sport to do so

[@barneyburnham2673]

Craig Maxwell-Keys, one of the elite panel of Premiership referees (in England), came out as gay two or three years ago. He's now an established international official.

[@CptRumcan]

As a South African we wanted Nigel to Referee SA vs Wales in 2019 world cup even though he is from Wales because he is just that good.

[@3storiesUp]

There is only one Nige. He is an absolute legend. Loved by all.

[@wg3464]

I have just found this, but had to put in my opinion. Nigel Owens is definitely a legend, one of his strengths is explaining his decision, agree or not with them everyone knew why he made them, one of the reasons he had respect of players and fans alike. One of the best times I remember is when he was refereeing NZ (in NZ) during the Tri Nations, Dan Carter, the NZ No 10 (and a complete,eye legend) swore on field during a break in play, Nigel told him to watch his language as it was a family show, the player considered best in position at the time that some referees were intimidated by, just hung his head and said sorry ref. It was brilliant, bit showed the respect players had for him, none of the players wanted to disappoint Nigel.

[@Irish381]

He’s an absolute legend in rugby 🏉! The main reason I got into this sport a few years back!

[@justinereid1822]

Nigel Owens absolute legend and gentleman in every sense of the word, he’s my hero

[@williamstevenson4694]

Having a ref that talks to the players is great ,as the players know what way the ref wants the game to be played... and 9 times out of 10 you get to see great rugby will...n.z

[@rossgeography]

this was great - I was/am a big Nigel Owens fan - one of the most competent and fairest refs the game will ever see and a huge influence on promoting the values of rugby to younger players

[@Adamax93]

We need teachers that act like this. No fear, no disrespect, no hesitation. You get pulled aside. Explained what you did wrong. And what’s going to happen if you continue.

[@wasp6594]

Nigel Owens was probably the best rugby referee in the world. All rugby players had the utmost respect for him. In football (soccer) terms he was like another referee, the Italian, Colina, who refereed in a similar way.

[@1Molehill]

A total legend. He has a real love for his sport and that's why the players show him respect. Such a shame he's retired from refereeing major games.

[@davereynard]

I was waiting for a video of this kind......US official sees how Nigel Owen does it (or rugby in general) I love hockey and baseball and can't believe the amount of disrespect shown to game officials in these sports. In rugby - from players right up to team managers. In rugby and cricket, they don't have rules, they are referred to as laws; and as we all know rules can be bent but laws cannot. Nearly every rugby ref I have encountered whilst I was a player was firm, fair and called 'sir' by the players. Nigel is a legend in the highly ignored art or game officiation and I wish him all the very best.

[@Antawnyoo]

He should become FIFA referee consultant.

[@Andrew-is7rs]

‘I’m straighter than that …’ A great quote. The guy is utterly respected globally by all the players, he’s gay in an incredibly masculine UK sport, but you ask any player what they think of him and you’ll get the same answer, respect. And the fact he’s got a good sense of humour helps too

[@DaRougaroux1]

4:48 CALLED THAT MAN BY HIS FIRST NAME...Dude walked away like dad just gave him the look.

[@lesliemackay7853]

Decades ago, when I started playing as a kid The Coach told Me at first training, it's simple, in Rugby we have Laws. The Referee Is The Sole Arbiter of The Law. Agree and walk away.

[@GarethT902]

It's actually written in the law book as well the Referee is the sole judge of fact and of law.

[@lesliemackay7853]

@@GarethT902correct, if memory, serves sect 6:5 😁👍

[@nizmollusk]

Dude with the blood trickle be like "Nah fam its cool, my skullcap is keeping the brains in, I can play on" :D

[@garmit61]

Nigel Owens is probably the best rugby union referee I’ve seen. He always explained to the players why he made decisions and let them know how he was going to referee them. He was a great communicator too.

[@frankkelleher1888]

The best referee ever love from Ireland

[@anthonyanderson4980]

Brilliant, wonderful ref that loves the game.

[@davidbrooks960]

I’m a Welshman, you never piss him off!

[@Drewboo1968]

Nigel Owens is quite possibly the finest referee that any sport has ever had. He certainly set a very high bar for those who followed in his footsteps. Even the most brutish of giant players treated him with respect.

[@farn451]

He's a legend, a total legend. Consistent and respected by all players. Rugby players are triple hard bastards; in times of old they would have been medieval warriors.

[@rocketrabble6737]

Unlike many football referees, rugby referees are treated with respect by players, but of course it works both ways. Players call them 'sir' (even allowing for the fact that there are different ways of saying sir). They will only respond to queries from the captains and have the immediate power to reverse decisions or increase penalties if there is dissension. An important consideration is that the organising bodies support the decisions of the referees after games.

[@geoffpoole483]

Agree with all that, it's also worth mentioning that the rugby referee has a slightly different role, informing players when it's a ruck for example.

[@markdyer2155]

Worth watching/listening to video of Wayne Barnes dealing with shouted appeals and other chat.

[@gsbealer]

He was a fabulous referee. Players know better than will to argue with Nigel. He was undoubtedly the most respected ref in rugby. He has come out as being gay in possibly the toughest sport. The man is a wonder and a Welshman besides. All the best to you Mr. Owens. You are to be congratulated for the great man you are.

[@FredY-cg6mi]

One of the most respected and revered refs of the game.

[@gofogaming4456]

Nigel is a legend and should end up in some hall of fame somewhere.. Absolute LEGEND!!

[@liamoreilly308]

Hope he refs the centenary match between South Africa and New Zealand, Nigel Owens had earned the respect of all rugby layers he reffed on and off the pitch and that was very visible to see no matter who the player was, he said his piece and the game moved on, you earn respect by giving respect in return, sadly missed is Nigel Owens but the greatest ref to have graced a rugby field on any rugby level.... The best there ever was..Nigel Owens.

[@pereantonivivassoldevila2627]

A great referee and a great person. In rugbys it is said "soccer goes about faking you're injured for 90 minutes. Rugby goes about faking you're not injured for 80 minutes", so you have to be very smart and charismatic to be a referee. Also, a referee in Rugby is really respected, not like in other sports.

[@danm2144]

the "I'm straighter than that one" reference at approx 1.45 is referring to Nigel coming out as gay while still an active referee. He's poking fun at himself at is own expense. Btw, the big tough rugby players all over the world overwhelmingly supported Nigel at the time.

[@beriandavies2111]

A highly respected official of the game, Nigel Owens went through a personal turmoil in his youth, but came out the other side the man he is now. It's all in his book, Half Time. Nigel Owens, The Autobiography, very well worth a read. I liked your reaction, that you understood his approach to the players and at no time did he talk down to them. 👍👏👏👏

[@MrAhuapai]

Best test referee in the world.

[@gaba-ka-arosi8125]

Rugby is a"hooligans games played by gentlemen" while soccer is a gentlemen's game played by hooligans" - quote unknown

[@vagabond142]

11:33 There is a lovely saying in rugby about that: "If you aren't bleeding, you aren't playing hard enough." There are blood rules in rugby, however, that determine what, if any, stoppage is needed for blood treatment. His cut was under his headgear and was already wrapped, so it's a simple wipe off on the jersey and on with the game :)

[@washitokusei6801]

The laws state that blood stained jerseys or other equipment should be replaced and for that time is allowed. Hardly ever forced though.

[@loquayrocks]

when you first start playing rugby, you are taught that the ref must be respected (always called "Sir") and if you want to argue with him, expect to leave the pitch early (been there)

[@Cymru2k2]

Nigel Owens is the greatest ref to of ever graced the rugby pitch, absolute legend

[@Woody-se7uk]

In my humble opinion the greatest referee to grace any sport ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@sas2300]

Its one of the best aspects of rugby the way that all the players listen to and respect the referees and understand they are running the game. That starts in the clubs and teams, they all know you listen to the referee and you dont disrespect them and they make sure all their players know that. This guy was one of the best refs in any sport ever without a doubt.

[@RRTNZ]

At 5:54 he is instructing the Captain of the Welsh National team ( in a club match). He commands that much respect.

[@HaveMonkeyWillDance]

'Keep them straight'? Ha ha. Well done. What a legend he is.

[@kevinkatzke5350]

Love Nigel he is not only the best referee ever in rugby but super fair what a legend, this is from a springbok fanatic ❤

[@raquellephillips4289]

Nigel Owens is an absolute legend. Respected by the players and a complete gentleman. His humour is renowned in the game and it's really sad he has retired. One of the many reasons that I love Rugby Union is that the players have respect for the referee and there's no way they would get away with arguing and shouting because they would get sin binned.

[@stephancoetzee319]

Love Nigel Owens. He's an out guy man, hence the comment "I'm straighter than that one". Legend

[@jh1812]

Nigel Owens is/was a legend in the Rugby world. He recently retired but his legacy will be remembered for years. As far as injuries in the game, I had less injuries playing rugby than I did playing football ( not soccer). My favourite quote has always been “ This isn’t soccer ! “ 😁

[@romelnegut2005]

Rugby referees will not accept players talk back to them and only the captains are allowed to speak to the refs.

[@fabricemonnier4388]

To me the best ref ever so far. He is/was an icon of our sport. I loved his communication skills and humor

[@justinereid6374]

Nigel owens. Only ref that could ref an England wales match that everyone would respect. Absolute legend.

[@gardenia24sugarfoot.36]

Nigel Owens you are a legend & the best School Teacher on field, no nonsense, no back answering, learning respect BIG TIME>

[@TheMikethoth]

My countryman, great man and a great referee.

[@madpete6438]

The is respected by all - because of who he is. What a dude. I have loved watching him over the years.

[@christianmungo2342]

Nigel Owens … absolutely brilliant as a referee and sense of humour 😂😂

In the 90s any blood was bench, getting fixed and coming back. It's not as strict now. Nigel Owens is the best ref I have ever seen. He lets the game be fluid, he's fair and commands respect. The fact that he's also a great human is the icing on the cake.

[@johnkilcullen1051]

I remember a few years ago he refereed an international game in Dublin on Saturday and an under 12s game in a town outside Dublin on Sunday morning.

[@MawattWillis]

Nigel Owens, one of the legendary referee of this game! If he's not the best! En France, on l'adore.

[@user-ge8cx5yx7n]

Nigel ❤ straight up, no mucking around Loved by the Kiwi's of New Zealand!

[@eivindkaisen6838]

After the match and some searching, the ball boy got Nigel's shirt as a gift. And Nigel insists that Rugby doesn't have rules, it has laws.

[@jimspink2922]

4.51 Christopher arguing Nigel No it wasn't Christopher begins saying something Nigel gives him a look and says CHRISTOPHEEER he walks away

[@bobpackard9527]

Speaking as a man from a rugby mad nation, Nigel Owens was THE referee of his time. The current very best Ref is Gus Angus Gardner, an Aussie man. You will notice that the players are very polite to the Ref, and respectful. You can, and WILL, be sent off for touching him in an argument, I dont mean a pat on the back, like the guy wiping blood off his face. This game is MUCH harder and requires MUCH tougher players then American football. As you can see from the little you have watched.

[@whinto]

​@Jackson BYRNE I'm a yank for reference, but, you're right they're two different sports that require different skills. Rugby is a contact sport, AF is a COLLISION sport. The pads they wear don't protect them FROM hits, they help them hit harder without injury. But I think if you took American Football players and Rugby players, and made them switch sports... They'd both be awful. AF players lack the endurance to play 40 mins at a time, and the Rugby players would have to learn quickly that lateral passing won't do ya much good.

[@MrT67]

@@whinto I'm a rugby fan, but agree with your broad assessment of the two sports. They are totally different and don't really bear comparison. However, one thing to correct you on Bud; a game of rugby is 80 minutes.

[@whinto]

@@MrT67 40 mins at a time, meaning halfs, is what i was implying.

[@colourlove1981]

He did a talk at my work once and he said that after he reffed his first game (maybe about 16yo) something he will always remember is one of the school boys’ grandfathers found him in the changing room after the game and asked if it was his first game. He said it was and the grandfather said something like “you keep at this, you’ll be a good referee one day”. That grandfather was his first talent scout 🤣

[@e.a.p.77]

😂I remember when he said to Brodie Retallick: « calm down Big men »😂😂

[@TammyTheScottishLassie]

The only rugby ref to be allowed to ref his own nations game as hes so trusted.❤

[@albiball]

Outstanding- massive respect 👌

[@melaniecoles6917]

Best ref ever!!!! Very missed now in Rugby.... Legend Nigel xx

[@rhunl]

Hi Coach, Great that you're exploring rugby and Nige is a great referee in the sport. His ongoing conversation with the captains, and often dismissal of the non-captains who shouldn't be yelling at him has been one of his strengths. A loss to rugby, but a huge gain for Welsh language rugby coverage where his insights are superb!

[@lisarousselet9370]

What I love in Rugby is how you sometime see a referee 2 times smaller than the player yell at them (noy this one specifically) and the big guys quietly listening and repenting!!! 😊 that's cute, and show how great those guys are. White in soccer, you sometime see a referee getting badly beat by the supporters after the match... différent mentality ^^'

[@chief-jayfiji7834]

Nige is an absolute legend 🙏🏾💯👊🏾

[@RevoTour]

One of the best referees in Rugby. It was sad to see him retire but he’s still giving back to the game on a local level and with up and coming referees.

[@steelcityman9767]

Soccer players spend 90 mins pretending they are hurt .. Rugby players spend 80 mins pretending they're not ... RUGBY UNION, GAME OF THE GODS.

[@LB-my1ej]

My husband played rugby until he was in his 50’s my sons are now in their 50’s and are still playing. More than a few injuries between them but it never stopped them. My son once said to me that if England (we’re English) were playing Wales Nigel, (he’s Welsh) would be the one referee he would trust to be fair under any circumstance.

[@davidnobes6180]

Rugby is a wonderful sport. I once heard it described as a ruffians' sport played by gentlemen. (As opposed to cricket, which I have heard described as a gentlemen's sport played by ruffians. :-D) And Nigel was the most respected and knowledgeable gentleman on the pitch. He always explained his decisions and used those moments to teach.

[@sparkysjoint1616]

Elegant violence...

[@TheScouseassassin]

The actual saying is: “Cricket is a gentlemen’s game played by gentlemen, Football is a gentlemen’s game played by thugs, Rugby Union is a thug’s game played by gentlemen, And Rugby League is a thug’s game played by thugs.”

[@Dreyno]

Nigel is a legend. Great ref and a great character. Beloved by the vast majority of players and fans.