Nigel Owens: The Final Whistle

Nigel Owens is an internationally respected Welsh rugbyunion referee, loved by fans and respected by players worldwide. When heretired in 2020, he was the world record holder for most Test matches refereedand he is one of only two Welsh referees ever to officiate at a Rugby World CupFinal. He has also presented shows on S4C, and in 2011 was appointed to Wales' prestigiousGorsedd of Bards. In 2007 he came out as gay, and is an icon in the LGBTQcommunity. Both the first volume of his autobiography, Half Time (YLolfa, 2009) and the hardback version of this book are huge bestsellers.Paul Abbandonato is an award-winning journalist and author. He spent many yearsas Head of Sport at WalesOnline, and was 2018 UK Regional Sports Journalist ofthe Year. He is the author of Barry John: The George Best of Rugby(Mainstream Publishing, 2000), Gary Speed Remembered (Andre Deutsch Ltd,2012) and In the Dragons' Den: The scarcely believable stories from 30 yearsat the sharp end of Welsh football (Y Lolfa, 2025).

• Foreword by Dan CarterAcknowledgementsPrologue1 Breaking down barriers2 Dark days, seeing the light3 This is not soccer and the odd Twitter spat4 How it all began (or very nearly didn’t)5 Death threats … and great games6 Towards the top of the world7 … Reaching the summit8 Steak lunch with the Queen9 2019 World Cup10 100 and out, but not quite the farewell planned11 Barrie and me, farming and the futureNigel’s 100-Test career

It’s rare for a referee in any sport to be popular, yet Nigel Owens has always courted strong affection throughout the world – he is loved by players, coaches, officials, TV commentators and even fans. A real character, some of his famous put-downs whilst lecturing players – such as ‘This is not soccer’, have gone viral on social media. The best rugby referee of his generation, Nigel also has an incredible backstory to tell. After coming through dark times, during which he tried to take his own life, he was the first leading figure in the macho world of rugby union to come out openly as gay and went on to command respect everywhere for his honesty off the pitch and ability as a referee on it. This is an inspirational story of triumph over adversity, hope over despair. It all makes for a truly compelling read. The hardback version of this autobiography is a bestseller, widely seen as the rugby book of the year when it came out in 2022.