Awesome referee. Respected the world over. Another is Wayne Barnes. If only football referees could stamp out the oscar worthy acting that goes on in every game. I'd start watching it. 🏴👍
FYI at one part of the video he says “if you want to ‘cwtch’ boys you do it off the pitch not on it” Cwtch is Welsh for cuddle/hug. Nigel is one of the most respected referees in rugby globally and has been missed globally since he retired. Nigel Owens MBE Got awarded the MBE ( Member of the order of the British empire) by HRH the Queen herself for his services to sport in 2016. He is a legend of his own lifetime and has the world record for most number of test matches refereed. You’ll never get another Nigel he was a 5 foot man who commanded respect from 6+ foot Giants The world over. I love that man and his tweets on Twitter are hilarious and is well worth a follow. Since his retirement he’s gone back home to his small village where he was brought up in West Wales , there he has bought a house and developed it into his own dairy farm and I think that’s what he’s currently occupied with. 🏴🇬🇧 Absolute legend 🏴🖤🙏🔴🟢⚪️
He really is a legend, love this guy, the way he handles himself like a gentleman at all times amongst these giants is amazing. He commanded respect and deserved it.
The captain of a rugby team is the link between the team and the ref. The captains are the only one who can adress the ref without being spoken to first.
One of the greatest refs and characters of the game.I was lucky enough to meet him at an Under 20's game in Italy a few years ago.He was there as a spectator,and I had a good chat with him.Really nice guy,and very witty.
You are spot on my dears.... Nigel is the best.. fair, unbiased has a wonderful sense of humour and for decades he has earned the respect of world players of Ruby Union !
Although you are in amazement at the level of respect seriously that is the nature of the game. If you are punished for talking back the other team gains 10 yards. The whole team suffers for your petulance.
The referees are vital for the flow of the game. A good ref will talk to both teams, especially while they are scrambling around on the floor following a tackle or scrum. Even if it is just to say "ball is loose", it lets both teams know when they can push in / ruck over in to the gate or if they need to run down the sides. A lot of decisions in games are subjective af, but you got to go with what the ref is calling cos for the most part they are fair.
When Nigel called everyone to get in here, Spencer I could see you trying to listen to the commentators..that was in Ireland and they were speaking Irish.
As many have said already, Rugby is a thugs game played by gentlemen, in either code of the game, union or league, the ref rules the pitch, his word is final, you are taught as you start to play the game, that you respect the Ref, no matter what, you call him sir, and take on board what he says to you, and you respect his decision, and at the end of the game you shake his hand, saying that Nigel Owens, had the respect of not only the players , but the supporters to, a true legend in the sport, and there is not many officials in any sport you can say that about.
In fairness, all rugby refs will often bring the captains over when one of their players are being penalised. In general rugby refs are treated with a lot more respect than their counterparts in other sports.
He is passionate about the game and the way it should be played, like every Welsh🏴man that has played the game from 7yrs old, it is in our blood. Nigel loves the game and how he officiated every game he demonstrated that love.
Gentleman and Legend. I used to do contractual work, approx 3 miles from where I live, with Kingspan Group who are sponsors here in NI and the NI team would come down and staff would get a chance to mix with the them. My sisters still works there. And has a life size display of some of the team she keeps in here bedroom.
Even now he’s retired he is still one of the most respected voices in rugby. People always use his views and opinions of games as a benchmark in conversations
He is certainly a rare breed of referees that was able to get the respect of the players and managers. I listened to an interview and he is now looking forward to some socialising with players at events as he's retired and they don't do that for obvious reasons. If he could teach that version of leadership and people management especially in business he should make millions as what is that worth to a company?
As an umpire in Field Hockey I have often brought teams together to explain what is happening and is going to happen. It makes for a better game overall.
What you must remember is although these big men are tough and fearsome on the field they all come from middle class educated families that's why they show respect to the referee, whereas in football they come from working class families and therefore show no respect to referees
There’s another element here at play and that is that Rugby is played by gentlemen and as such the referee commands respect. This is something that they have managed to maintain and it is very rare to hear a player argue with a rugby referee. That said, Nigel Owens is a class act and an incredible referee.
Nigel had just refereed the World Cup final,and was asked to referee a Welsh premier league game. At half time the local junior rugby teams came on to play 7 a side, for the crowds entertainment. Big stayed on the field and reffed half a game for 2 of the matches. I cannot see any soccer referee doing that, and imagine going into school on Monday and telling your friends the World Cup final referee had refereed your game. Good man giving back to the good family,that is rugby.
The normal protocol is to speak to the captains so that they can pass the information on to their teams. It is unusual to get all the players together. The only similar thing I can think of is in Rugby League when, after the captain has been warned about repeated offences, the referee makes a signal known as a "team warning" meaning that the next person to commit that offence will be sin-binned. (Sin-binning is where the yellow card is produced meaning that the player goes off the field for ten minutes).
He's a great character but an even greater referee. I played for 25 years and the best refs were the ones that talked to the players. Nigel has educated other refs as to how you do it. Absolute legend.
The discipline and respect the players have for the referee in immense. Some of these players are 12 inches taller and about 100lb heavier, but they all do exactly what he says and some times maybe a little bit scared of him. lol.
Nigel was refereeing a match involving a rather short in stature Irish scrum half called Peter Stringer. He comes up to Nigel angrily saying "Nigel, I am not happy". Nigel replies "then which one of the seven (dwarves) are you ?" Peter just walked away, and knew he had been caught out....
Having played football in the form of rugby union. Soccer and gridiron I can say in rugby at all levels. The only person that is supposed to talk to the ref is the Captian and if you backchat them. They March you 10 yards down the field in a penalty
Theresa football ref in our league who’s been doing it for forty years , he’s 73 now and fitter than a lot of players , but he swears at the players and when he wants to speak to a player he says no7 come here and step into my office , he’s really funny but gets great respect because of the character he is .
In Rugby, the referee is the sole judge of fact, since it doesn’t matter what anybody else “thinks”. In Rugby it is not the role of the referee to control the players; that role falls to the team captains and/or pack leaders, which is why the referee is often heard to tell the captains to sort it out.
I think if Wales was playing England in the Rugby World Cup final nobody would have had any complaints if Nigel was selected to referee the game as he was a consumate professional and he would call the match fairly.
It's a bit late but I can't see anyone that's said it themselves, but the "If you want a cwtch, do it off the field, not on it", a "cwtch" is a hug or a cuddle in Welsh, rather than a fight.
Nigel Owens still involved in picking the international referees for which games they get. Plus as an Englishman he is the only referee that I would accept from Wlaes refereeing a game between England and Wales. No other referee has ever had this accolade said about him, it is not just me who thinks this about him this way and the way he referees games.
The comparison I see most often is: Football is a Gentlemans game for Thugs. Rugby is a thuggish game for Gentlemen. Which I think is in no small part to the way it's handled by officials and players alike, but particularly the refs. I'm a football fan, will always take football over rugby but I can absolutely understand the differences in respect and self awareness. There has really only ever been ONE football referee who has earned the same level of accolades, plaudits and respect and that's Pierluigi Collina.
You’d miss him these days since he retired. If at a game and he was refereeing you’d be wondering what he was saying to the players and would have to watch the highlights later on.
I love how rugby is mostly whistle to whistle with roughness. A brilliant referee. The players have so much respect for the referee, love to see that. But the football leagues and American Football could learn a thing from this. Bring some respect to the referees again, have integrity and fairness.
Try some Chris Kamara for his "insights" on the game of football... By this he misses a lot of plays on and off the field...while trying to call the game on TV...
On a flip side if thing I watched superbowl LVIII and had no idea what was going on but I must say it was awesome to watch. Rugby Union is better but American football is rather good 😊
You want a good rugby video look at the videos of Alun wyn Jones winding up opponents. Welsh captain and a notorious wind up merchant, its bloody hilarious.
I think we can all agree, doesn't matter which rugby team you support, Nigel Owen's is the GOAT of refs. That first clip was the Barbarians Vs All Blacks and that was a former All Black Owen's was speaking to 😂😂
You should watch some of the darts. Just search RUclips for "Sid Waddell best moments" or some thing of that nature. There's thousands of videos... Up to 2012 when he died The commentator, 'Sid Waddell' provided a colourful commentary . He says some really funny stuff. Things like :- "The atmosphere is so tense, if Elvis walked in with a portion of chips, you could hear the vinegar sizzle on them." Or "There was less noise when Pompeii was swamped in lava! Absolute pandemonium here! Barmaids are frozen like Greek statues watching! No beer is being served! Everybody's eyes are absolutely hooked on that dartboard." Or "When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears as there were no more worlds to conquer... Eric Bristow is only 27." Or "His eyes are bulging like the belly of a hungry chaffinch.".... There are literally 1000s of funny quotes. But it's not just the comments he makes that are funny it's the way he says them . You understand? Anyone could say them lines but only a small number of people can say them and make you laugh hard.
as an Englishman, I'd let Nigel Owens ref an England vs Wales match. The greatest and fairest in referee in living memory
He's so fair and impartial he was even allowed to referee matches involving Wales (he's Welsh).
He’s great but that was only the BaBas game at the end of his career
Yeah, he never reffed Wales
Many refs have reffed their own team
@@ryanbotha9775 not internationally they haven’t
@@johnrichards2640 sure they have
Awesome referee. Respected the world over. Another is Wayne Barnes. If only football referees could stamp out the oscar worthy acting that goes on in every game. I'd start watching it. 🏴👍
Wayne Barnes is definitely worth to watch too. 👍
Wayne Barnes in his day job is a Barrister.. difficult to put into American terms but .. nah it’s like a lawyer but a better lawyer
"the football stadium is over there" meaning if you want to cheat,play act and disrespect the referee you can go play football (soccer) 😂😂😂
FYI at one part of the video he says “if you want to ‘cwtch’ boys you do it off the pitch not on it” Cwtch is Welsh for cuddle/hug. Nigel is one of the most respected referees in rugby globally and has been missed globally since he retired. Nigel Owens MBE Got awarded the MBE ( Member of the order of the British empire) by HRH the Queen herself for his services to sport in 2016.
He is a legend of his own lifetime and has the world record for most number of test matches refereed. You’ll never get another Nigel he was a 5 foot man who commanded respect from 6+ foot Giants The world over. I love that man and his tweets on Twitter are hilarious and is well worth a follow. Since his retirement he’s gone back home to his small village where he was brought up in West Wales , there he has bought a house and developed it into his own dairy farm and I think that’s what he’s currently occupied with. 🏴🇬🇧
Absolute legend 🏴🖤🙏🔴🟢⚪️
Love the way he walks backwards and makes the players come to him!
He really is a legend, love this guy, the way he handles himself like a gentleman at all times amongst these giants is amazing. He commanded respect and deserved it.
The captain of a rugby team is the link between the team and the ref. The captains are the only one who can adress the ref without being spoken to first.
One of the greatest refs and characters of the game.I was lucky enough to meet him at an Under 20's game in Italy a few years ago.He was there as a spectator,and I had a good chat with him.Really nice guy,and very witty.
This is the beauty of Rugby the official will be talking to players throughout to help manage the game. This happens at all levels in the sport
The old adage "rugby is a thugs game, played by gentleman" every player always respects the referee. But Nigel was still one of the special ones
You are spot on my dears.... Nigel is the best.. fair, unbiased has a wonderful sense of humour and for decades he has earned the respect of world players of Ruby Union !
Although you are in amazement at the level of respect seriously that is the nature of the game. If you are punished for talking back the other team gains 10 yards. The whole team suffers for your petulance.
3:20 You didn't understand because the commentators were local commentators and were speaking Welsh.
Irish*
@@aoibhinkelly2406 My bad
At 3:45 when you were lookin very confused, the commentators were speaking Irish.
He did an interview with an Irish comedian called Tommy Tiernan. It's the best interview that I've seen with him.
Just love Nigel, my all-time rugby hero!
The referees are vital for the flow of the game. A good ref will talk to both teams, especially while they are scrambling around on the floor following a tackle or scrum. Even if it is just to say "ball is loose", it lets both teams know when they can push in / ruck over in to the gate or if they need to run down the sides. A lot of decisions in games are subjective af, but you got to go with what the ref is calling cos for the most part they are fair.
Some rugby fans I hang with used to go to watch what ever game nigel was reffing because he made the game better and fair
When Nigel called everyone to get in here, Spencer I could see you trying to listen to the commentators..that was in Ireland and they were speaking Irish.
09:34, what he actually said was "if you wanna cwtch, do it off the field." Cwtch is welsh slang for cuddle. Nigel is welsh 🏴🙂
Nigel is a class act and sadly missed in the game.
I don't want to generalise but most Welsh people are level-headed and down to earth with a fair dose of witty banter. Unless we've had a few ;)
Problem is we've usually had a few ;)
We do our best but booze is normally involved!
It's one thing we do better than rugby
As many have said already, Rugby is a thugs game played by gentlemen, in either code of the game, union or league, the ref rules the pitch, his word is final, you are taught as you start to play the game, that you respect the Ref, no matter what, you call him sir, and take on board what he says to you, and you respect his decision, and at the end of the game you shake his hand, saying that Nigel Owens, had the respect of not only the players , but the supporters to, a true legend in the sport, and there is not many officials in any sport you can say that about.
In fairness, all rugby refs will often bring the captains over when one of their players are being penalised. In general rugby refs are treated with a lot more respect than their counterparts in other sports.
He is passionate about the game and the way it should be played, like every Welsh🏴man that has played the game from 7yrs old, it is in our blood. Nigel loves the game and how he officiated every game he demonstrated that love.
Gentleman and Legend. I used to do contractual work, approx 3 miles from where I live, with Kingspan Group who are sponsors here in NI and the NI team would come down and staff would get a chance to mix with the them. My sisters still works there. And has a life size display of some of the team she keeps in here bedroom.
“Passion demands respect” I like that mate!
Nigel is a legend, always a good game with him in charge
Thanks a mil Daniel. Nigel is a hero. Appreciate the respect.
I think a bit of humour goes a long way with a situation where guys are trying to knock seven bells out of each other. 👍
Great content. Would love to see you react to the Royal Navy field gun competition.
100%
Another Welsh legend
Even now he’s retired he is still one of the most respected voices in rugby. People always use his views and opinions of games as a benchmark in conversations
He is certainly a rare breed of referees that was able to get the respect of the players and managers. I listened to an interview and he is now looking forward to some socialising with players at events as he's retired and they don't do that for obvious reasons. If he could teach that version of leadership and people management especially in business he should make millions as what is that worth to a company?
As an umpire in Field Hockey I have often brought teams together to explain what is happening and is going to happen. It makes for a better game overall.
National treasure by here is Nigel. Absolutely tidy ref.
9:34 he said “if you want to cwtch do it off the field”.
A cwtch is Welsh slang for a hug (pronounced cootch)
Passion and integrity. Top bloke.
That was Scots or Irish Gaelic on the Gla-Mum match. I'm guessing it was Glasgow-Munster (Mumha).
What you must remember is although these big men are tough and fearsome on the field they all come from middle class educated families that's why they show respect to the referee, whereas in football they come from working class families and therefore show no respect to referees
Welsh players are definitely working class, the majority from quite deprived ex-mining areas. Scotland seem similar, from a mainly farming background.
complete bullshit from living in manchester
There’s another element here at play and that is that Rugby is played by gentlemen and as such the referee commands respect. This is something that they have managed to maintain and it is very rare to hear a player argue with a rugby referee.
That said, Nigel Owens is a class act and an incredible referee.
He is the Pierluigi Collina of Rugby 😊
Legend in the game!
He was a ref at a beach rugby game once.. half the valley boys were pissed up..Great viewing
probably the best rugby union ref ever
If you listen carefully when Nigel catches the ball he shouts "aaaaaaaghh" lol 😂😂
love the rugby content
Nigel had just refereed the World Cup final,and was asked to referee a Welsh premier league game. At half time the local junior rugby teams came on to play 7 a side, for the crowds entertainment. Big stayed on the field and reffed half a game for 2 of the matches. I cannot see any soccer referee doing that, and imagine going into school on Monday and telling your friends the World Cup final referee had refereed your game. Good man giving back to the good family,that is rugby.
Imagine telling your grandkids that.
You looked a bit confused at the commentary around 3:40 - TG4 is the Irish-language tv station.
The normal protocol is to speak to the captains so that they can pass the information on to their teams. It is unusual to get all the players together. The only similar thing I can think of is in Rugby League when, after the captain has been warned about repeated offences, the referee makes a signal known as a "team warning" meaning that the next person to commit that offence will be sin-binned. (Sin-binning is where the yellow card is produced meaning that the player goes off the field for ten minutes).
He's a great character but an even greater referee. I played for 25 years and the best refs were the ones that talked to the players. Nigel has educated other refs as to how you do it. Absolute legend.
The discipline and respect the players have for the referee in immense. Some of these players are 12 inches taller and about 100lb heavier, but they all do exactly what he says and some times maybe a little bit scared of him. lol.
Nigel also refs small teams when they ask him to for charity purposes
The legend retired too soon.
That is the rule in rugby, the captain is supposed to be the only player who talks to the ref during a game
Nigel was refereeing a match involving a rather short in stature Irish scrum half called Peter Stringer. He comes up to Nigel angrily saying "Nigel, I am not happy". Nigel replies "then which one of the seven (dwarves) are you ?" Peter just walked away, and knew he had been caught out....
The most respected ref in world rugby, so sad he retired.
Having played football in the form of rugby union. Soccer and gridiron I can say in rugby at all levels. The only person that is supposed to talk to the ref is the Captian and if you backchat them. They March you 10 yards down the field in a penalty
The clip from TG4. The commentators are speaking Irish or Gaeilge. It's an Irish language channel.
Theresa football ref in our league who’s been doing it for forty years , he’s 73 now and fitter than a lot of players , but he swears at the players and when he wants to speak to a player he says no7 come here and step into my office , he’s really funny but gets great respect because of the character he is .
In Rugby, the referee is the sole judge of fact, since it doesn’t matter what anybody else “thinks”. In Rugby it is not the role of the referee to control the players; that role falls to the team captains and/or pack leaders, which is why the referee is often heard to tell the captains to sort it out.
best ref this world will probably ever see...at least in my life time
It's like the patient dad wrangling his giant sons.
7.49 when you looked confused, someone was swearing (f bomb) he was telling them to be careful with their language
When he speaks to two people to control the situation. These two are the captains. ( actual captains unlike football)(soccer)
The 10 yd/10m penalty for talking shit to the referee would be a great rule in NFL and soccer. Would cut player backchat in half instantly.
an amazing referee very suited for the beautiful game of rugby, far more physical than the NFL/CFL
Nigel was the best Rugby ref ever, he earned the respect because he respected the game and the players
I take it you both play some pool, perhaps you may be interested in Ronnie O sullivans fastest 147 in history obviously playing snooker
If you want to cwtch/coutch, do it after. Coutch is Welsh for cuddle.
Respect for the referee is something which is generally good in rugby. Talk back and it isn't tolerated at all.
I think if Wales was playing England in the Rugby World Cup final nobody would have had any complaints if Nigel was selected to referee the game as he was a consumate professional and he would call the match fairly.
If I'm not mistaken NIgel Owens was the only ref worldwide who was alowed to lead international games of his own country
It's a bit late but I can't see anyone that's said it themselves, but the "If you want a cwtch, do it off the field, not on it", a "cwtch" is a hug or a cuddle in Welsh, rather than a fight.
Nigel Owens still involved in picking the international referees for which games they get. Plus as an Englishman he is the only referee that I would accept from Wlaes refereeing a game between England and Wales. No other referee has ever had this accolade said about him, it is not just me who thinks this about him this way and the way he referees games.
You should do lee evans take on rugby it's about 2 minutes long but funny as hell
React to Faf De Klerk the south african/ English League player known as the giant killer he is a short guy that takes on the big guys!
Without a doubt the best ref in rugby, as for football. Go check out pierluigi Collina.
Review the last South Africa v New Zealand game (July 2023). You won’t be disappointed fellas
you should watch NHL's "Best of Wes McCauley"
this man is the GOAT of Ref's
suggestion for you, the hu song of woman. itll blow your minds. with lzzy hale from halestorm
He said "if you want to 'cwtch' like that, do it off the field"
The comparison I see most often is:
Football is a Gentlemans game for Thugs.
Rugby is a thuggish game for Gentlemen.
Which I think is in no small part to the way it's handled by officials and players alike, but particularly the refs. I'm a football fan, will always take football over rugby but I can absolutely understand the differences in respect and self awareness.
There has really only ever been ONE football referee who has earned the same level of accolades, plaudits and respect and that's Pierluigi Collina.
Where the fight was. He says “you wanna cwtch do it”. cwtch is cuddle 🤣
check out NHL: Refs Mic'd Up
You’d miss him these days since he retired. If at a game and he was refereeing you’d be wondering what he was saying to the players and would have to watch the highlights later on.
Look France/New Zealand Autumn Nations 2021 ❤❤
I love how rugby is mostly whistle to whistle with roughness. A brilliant referee. The players have so much respect for the referee, love to see that. But the football leagues and American Football could learn a thing from this. Bring some respect to the referees again, have integrity and fairness.
Try some Chris Kamara for his "insights" on the game of football... By this he misses a lot of plays on and off the field...while trying to call the game on TV...
You guys should react the The Commonweath Games Opening Ceremony. ✌️❤️🏴🇬🇧🏳️🌈
On a flip side if thing I watched superbowl LVIII and had no idea what was going on but I must say it was awesome to watch. Rugby Union is better but American football is rather good 😊
The ref can call all the team in whenever
You want a good rugby video look at the videos of Alun wyn Jones winding up opponents. Welsh captain and a notorious wind up merchant, its bloody hilarious.
You cannot disrespect the ref under any circumstances
I think we can all agree, doesn't matter which rugby team you support, Nigel Owen's is the GOAT of refs.
That first clip was the Barbarians Vs All Blacks and that was a former All Black Owen's was speaking to 😂😂
The key is the field is his house and the absolutely players know it.
If you don't behave accordingly in his house you may not get to play the game.
You should watch some of the darts. Just search RUclips for "Sid Waddell best moments" or some thing of that nature. There's thousands of videos...
Up to 2012 when he died The commentator, 'Sid Waddell' provided a colourful commentary .
He says some really funny stuff. Things like :-
"The atmosphere is so tense, if Elvis walked in with a portion of chips, you could hear the vinegar sizzle on them." Or
"There was less noise when Pompeii was swamped in lava! Absolute pandemonium here! Barmaids are frozen like Greek statues watching! No beer is being served! Everybody's eyes are absolutely hooked on that dartboard." Or
"When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears as there were no more worlds to conquer... Eric Bristow is only 27." Or
"His eyes are bulging like the belly of a hungry chaffinch."....
There are literally 1000s of funny quotes. But it's not just the comments he makes that are funny it's the way he says them . You understand? Anyone could say them lines but only a small number of people can say them and make you laugh hard.
Rugy Referees tend to coach as they referee. Hence the respect given to them.
#
Please note Nigel explains first then makes the call.