Nigel Owens is one of the best, if not the best, international rugby referees. He manages the game with trademark good humour, wit and efficiency. Nigel is the record holder for the most test matches ever refereed and presided over the last Rugby World Cup final between the All Blacks and Australia.

We were delighted to welcome him to Stewarts for a Q&A. During the course of the evening it became clear that there is much more to Nigel than rugby. He is a warm, compassionate, frank and honest man who has done great work in relation to LGBT, mental health, anti-bullying and eating disorders. He tells his own story honestly and directly which visibly moved the audience.

Nigel Owens officiating Ulster v Glasgow Warriors October 2014. Photo by Florian Christoph from Dublin, Ireland [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

When introducing his final record during his appearance on the Desert Island Discs, Nigel said, “It doesn’t matter where you come from, the colour of your skin, your sexual orientation or your religious beliefs, all that should matter in life is that you are treated the same. No better. No worse. All we should be able to do and all we deserve in life is that we are able to be who we are.”

A memorable evening.