nationalized-and a rugby referee respected for his style on the field. he can lay down the wall and show compassion. he s also gai. owens talked to alex thomas about his journey to accept himself. two weeks of play. not today. watch this. normally, a referee or umpire is the least popular person on a sports field. but nigel owens is one of rugby s most lovable characters, given a standing ovation at the world rugby awards where he was named referee of the year a day after taking charge at the world cup final. listen to that. after refereeing the sports most important match in front of 80,000 people and estimated global tv audience of 120 million, owens is at the pinnacle of his career and la lauded by many who know his tail of triumph through diversity. in 2007, owens was the first