Nigel Owens - Revision history

LGBT-HP: Fix bare tag: MW 1.45.1 Cite requires self-closing

2026-07-10T13:09:30Z

Fix bare <references> tag: MW 1.45.1 Cite requires self-closing <references/>

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	Partly based on a Wikipedia article.		Partly based on a Wikipedia article.

	<references>		<references/>

	[[Category:Rugby referees]]		[[Category:Rugby referees]]

Ross Burgess at 13:32, 29 December 2013

2013-12-29T13:32:33Z

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	[[Category:Pink List 2011\|87]]		[[Category:Pink List 2011\|87]]
	[[Category:Pink List 2012\|93]]		[[Category:Pink List 2012\|93]]
			[[Category:Living people]]
			[[Category:1971 births]]

Ross Burgess at 22:56, 27 November 2013

2013-11-27T22:56:03Z

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	'''Nigel Owens''' (born 18 June 1971 in [[Mynyddcerrig]], [[Llanelli]], [[Wales]]) 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,<ref>http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0500rugbyunion/0500wales/tm_headline=welsh-ref-owens-on-world-cup-list&method=full&objectid=18975888&siteid=50082-name_page.html "Welsh ref Owens on World Cup list" ''IcWales.co.uk''</ref> as well as the '2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.		[[File:Nigel Owens Welsh Rugby Union Referee.JPG\|thumb\|Nigel Owens]]'''Nigel Owens''' (born 18 June 1971 in [[Mynyddcerrig]], [[Llanelli]], [[Wales]]) 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,<ref>http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0500rugbyunion/0500wales/tm_headline=welsh-ref-owens-on-world-cup-list&method=full&objectid=18975888&siteid=50082-name_page.html "Welsh ref Owens on World Cup list" ''IcWales.co.uk''</ref> as well as the '2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

	Owens was born and raised in a small village called Mynyddcerrig in the Gwendraeth Valley in South Wales and he is a fluent Welsh language speaker. He was a school technician at Ysgol Gyfun Maes Yr Yrfa Cefneithin and youth worker with Menter Cwm Gwendraeth.		Owens was born and raised in a small village called Mynyddcerrig in the Gwendraeth Valley in South Wales and he is a fluent Welsh language speaker. He was a school technician at Ysgol Gyfun Maes Yr Yrfa Cefneithin and youth worker with Menter Cwm Gwendraeth.

Ross Burgess: /* Personal life */

2013-10-03T10:01:18Z

Personal life

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:01, 3 October 2013
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	He was ranked number 87 in the [[Pink List 2011]] and 93 in the [[Pink List 2012]]. The Pink List 2012 citation said:		He was ranked number 87 in the [[Pink List 2011]] and 93 in the [[Pink List 2012]]. The Pink List 2012 citation said:
	:"Nigel Owens is an international rugby union referee who came out in 2007 and has appeared in two World Cups, in 2007 and 2011. Earlier this year, he made more headlines by reprimanding Treviso's Tobias Botes with the words "This is not soccer!", a phrase now printed on T-shirts."<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-ios-pink-list-2012-8216187.html</ref>		:"Nigel Owens is an international rugby union referee who came out in 2007 and has appeared in two World Cups, in 2007 and 2011. Earlier this year, he made more headlines by reprimanding Treviso's Tobias Botes with the words 'This is not soccer!', a phrase now printed on T-shirts."<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-ios-pink-list-2012-8216187.html</ref>

	== References ==		== References ==

Ross Burgess: /* References */

2013-10-03T10:00:43Z

References

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:00, 3 October 2013
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	[[Category:Rugby referees]]		[[Category:Rugby referees]]
	[[Category:Pink List 2011\|87]]		[[Category:Pink List 2011\|87]]
	[[Category:Pink List ~~20121~~\|93]]		[[Category:Pink List 2012\|93]]

Ross Burgess at 09:59, 3 October 2013

2013-10-03T09:59:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:59, 3 October 2013
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	In November 2008 he released his autobiography in Welsh called ''Hanner Amser'' ("Half Time"). The English-language version was launched at the end of October 2009. In 2011 he was made a member of the Gorsedd of Bards.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13685046 "Gorsedd honour for Gillian Clarke and Nigel Owens" ''bbc nEWS'', 8 June 2011</ref>		In November 2008 he released his autobiography in Welsh called ''Hanner Amser'' ("Half Time"). The English-language version was launched at the end of October 2009. In 2011 he was made a member of the Gorsedd of Bards.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13685046 "Gorsedd honour for Gillian Clarke and Nigel Owens" ''bbc nEWS'', 8 June 2011</ref>

	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!",<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YUF9LSXAkY "This is not soccer!"</ref> which then instantly became extremely popular among rugby fans, to the point that T-shirts with this phrase inprinted were commercialized.<ref>http://ruckinshirtsuk.spreadshirt.co.uk/this-is-not-soccer-A18668970</ref>

	==Personal life==		==Personal life==

	In May 2007, Owens publicly came out as gay in an interview with ''Wales on Sunday''. Although reactions have been generally positive, he says it was a difficult decision to make and that he had even contemplated suicide.<ref name=walessunday>http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=ref-s-gay-torment&method=full&objectid=19137450&siteid=50082-name_page.html Nathan Bevan "Ref's gay torment" ''Wales on Sunday'' 20 June 2007</ref>		In May 2007, Owens publicly came out as gay in an interview with ''Wales on Sunday''. Although reactions have been generally positive, he says it was a difficult decision to make and that he had even contemplated suicide.<ref name=walessunday>http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=ref-s-gay-torment&method=full&objectid=19137450&siteid=50082-name_page.html Nathan Bevan "Ref's gay torment" ''Wales on Sunday'' 20 June 2007</ref>
	~~<blockquote>~~		:"It's such a big taboo to be gay in my line of work, I had to think very hard about it because I didn't want to jeopardise my career. Coming out was very difficult and I tried to live with who I really was for years. I knew I was 'different' from my late teens, but I was just living a lie."
	"It's such a big taboo to be gay in my line of work, I had to think very hard about it because I didn't want to jeopardise my career. Coming out was very difficult and I tried to live with who I really was for years. I knew I was 'different' from my late teens, but I was just living a lie."
	~~</blockquote>~~
	Shortly after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Owens was named "Gay Sports Personality of the Year" at [[Stonewall]]'s gay awards ceremony in London.<ref>{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7075666.stm "World Cup rugby ref's gay award" ''BBC News'' 2 November 2007</ref>		Shortly after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Owens was named "Gay Sports Personality of the Year" at [[Stonewall]]'s gay awards ceremony in London.<ref>{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7075666.stm "World Cup rugby ref's gay award" ''BBC News'' 2 November 2007</ref>

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	== References ==		== References ==
	~~Based~~ on a Wikipedia article.		Partly based on a Wikipedia article.

	<references>		<references>

			[[Category:Rugby referees]]
			[[Category:Pink List 2011\|87]]
			[[Category:Pink List 20121\|93]]

Ross Burgess: /* Personal life */

2013-10-03T09:57:12Z

Personal life

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:57, 3 October 2013
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	He was made president of the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs in 2010 <ref>http://www.yfc-wales.org.uk/yfc-officers/</ref>		He was made president of the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs in 2010 <ref>http://www.yfc-wales.org.uk/yfc-officers/</ref>

			He was ranked number 87 in the [[Pink List 2011]] and 93 in the [[Pink List 2012]]. The Pink List 2012 citation said:
			:"Nigel Owens is an international rugby union referee who came out in 2007 and has appeared in two World Cups, in 2007 and 2011. Earlier this year, he made more headlines by reprimanding Treviso's Tobias Botes with the words "This is not soccer!", a phrase now printed on T-shirts."<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-ios-pink-list-2012-8216187.html</ref>

	== References ==		== References ==

Ross Burgess: Created page with " '''Nigel Owens''' (born 18 June 1971 in Mynyddcerrig, Llanelli, Wales) is a Welsh international rugby union referee. He is an international and Heineken Cup refer..."

2013-10-03T09:53:34Z

Created page with " '''Nigel Owens''' (born 18 June 1971 in Mynyddcerrig, Llanelli, Wales) is a Welsh international rugby union referee. He is an international and Heineken Cup refer..."

New page

'''Nigel Owens''' (born 18 June 1971 in [[Mynyddcerrig]], [[Llanelli]], [[Wales]]) 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,<ref>http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0500rugbyunion/0500wales/tm_headline=welsh-ref-owens-on-world-cup-list&method=full&objectid=18975888&siteid=50082-name_page.html "Welsh ref Owens on World Cup list" ''IcWales.co.uk''</ref> as well as the '2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Owens was born and raised in a small village called Mynyddcerrig in the Gwendraeth Valley in South Wales and he is a fluent Welsh language speaker. He was a school technician at Ysgol Gyfun Maes Yr Yrfa Cefneithin and youth worker with Menter Cwm Gwendraeth.

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 v Georgia match. He is only one of two referees ever 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 ''Jonathan'', a rugby-themed Welsh language chat show, broadcast on S4C on the eve of big international matches. He also co-presents the sports-themed Welsh language chat show ''Bwrw'r Bar''.

In November 2008 he released his autobiography in Welsh called ''Hanner Amser'' ("Half Time"). The English-language version was launched at the end of October 2009. In 2011 he was made a member of the Gorsedd of Bards.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13685046 "Gorsedd honour for Gillian Clarke and Nigel Owens" ''bbc nEWS'', 8 June 2011</ref>

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!",<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YUF9LSXAkY "This is not soccer!"</ref> which then instantly became extremely popular among rugby fans, to the point that T-shirts with this phrase inprinted were commercialized.<ref>http://ruckinshirtsuk.spreadshirt.co.uk/this-is-not-soccer-A18668970</ref>

==Personal life==

In May 2007, Owens publicly came out as gay in an interview with ''Wales on Sunday''. Although reactions have been generally positive, he says it was a difficult decision to make and that he had even contemplated suicide.<ref name=walessunday>http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=ref-s-gay-torment&method=full&objectid=19137450&siteid=50082-name_page.html Nathan Bevan "Ref's gay torment" ''Wales on Sunday'' 20 June 2007</ref>
<blockquote>
"It's such a big taboo to be gay in my line of work, I had to think very hard about it because I didn't want to jeopardise my career. Coming out was very difficult and I tried to live with who I really was for years. I knew I was 'different' from my late teens, but I was just living a lie."
</blockquote>
Shortly after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Owens was named "Gay Sports Personality of the Year" at [[Stonewall]]'s gay awards ceremony in London.<ref>{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7075666.stm "World Cup rugby ref's gay award" ''BBC News'' 2 November 2007</ref>

He was a patron of the [[LGBT Centre of Excellence Wales]], until its disbandment in late 2012.

He was made president of the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs in 2010 <ref>http://www.yfc-wales.org.uk/yfc-officers/</ref>

== References ==
Based on a Wikipedia article.

<references>