Nigel Starmer-Smith
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| Birth name | Nigel Christopher Starmer-Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 25 December 1944 (age 76) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cheltenham, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Magdalen College School, Oxford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University College, Oxford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | teacher, commentator, journalist | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nigel Starmer-Smith (born 25 December 1944)[1] is a former international rugby union player, who is now a British rugby journalist and commentator.
Playing career[]
Starmer-Smith played scrum-half for Oxford University (as a student at University College, Oxford) before progressing to senior club, Harlequins. During the 1966-67 season, while still at Oxford he was selected to play for British rugby's foremost invitational team the Barbarians. In 1969 he was selected to play for England against a touring South Africa side.[2]
In the late 1960s he taught geography at Epsom College.
Journalism[]
He has edited Rugby World magazine and for 15 years introduced Rugby Special for the BBC. He has also commentated on Olympic hockey for the BBC but had to make way for Barry Davies for the 1988 Olympic Final.
During the 2003 World Cup in Australia, Starmer-Smith commentated for ITV Sport's coverage.
Starmer-Smith was the lead television commentator on the IRB Sevens World Series and also lead columnist for the global rugby sevens portal, UR7s.com.
On 28 March 2021 edition of the BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast show, his son revealed that Nigel had been suffering from Dementia for a number of years and was living in a care home.
Notes[]
- British sports broadcasters
- English rugby union players
- England international rugby union players
- 1944 births
- Living people
- People educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford
- English rugby union commentators
- Oxford University RFC players
- Alumni of University College, Oxford
- Sportspeople from Cheltenham
- Barbarian F.C. players
- Harlequin F.C. players
- Surrey RFU players