Celebrity.

Former England international, turned rugby pundit Austin Healey reckons Nigel Owens’ celebrity status is perhaps beginning to hamper his ability to referee big games.

Owens is regarded as one of the best referees in the world today, but his persona and character sometimes transcends that. He’s one of the most loved figures in rugby, and as a result, in in high demand off the pitch.

Writing in The Telegraph, Healey reckons no referee in any other sport has built up a profile quite like Owens.

“There is no doubt that Nigel falls into the category of celebrity referee. No other referee comes close to matching his public profile. He has his own talk show. He has his own newspaper column in which he discussed Brexit this week. In fact I can’t think of a referee in any sport who has built up a profile like his and being able to pull it off.” Healy writes.

But has his incredible rise to fame affected how he referees the game?

“The question then becomes, ‘Has Nigel Owens become too big to referee?'” Healy continues

“Is it possible to be a celebrity referee? Can he afford to be as vocal as he has been on Twitter, or dress up as a leprechaun and Bob the Builder on his TV show, and still be considered an independent arbiter of fact? And does his role within the celebrity world influence his style of refereeing?”

“… I have got the impression that Nigel is refereeing to the sound of his own whistle. He wants the game to flow, he wants the game to be a good spectacle but at what point is he refereeing his own interpretation rather than the actual laws?

This is a genuine question – is he so good now that he thinks he can mould the laws to his own wishes?

Healey goes on to say that he admires what Owens has done, but ultimately feels he was a better referee four or five years ago, before his fame off the pitch reached its current levels.