Nigel Owens: The Six Nations moment that made me burst with pride and my one regret about retirement

This weekend will see a new Six Nations referee feel the magic of the tournament for the first time

When Wales take to the field at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, history will be made. Not by anyone in a red or green jersey, but by the match referee, Andrea Piardi.

It will be his first ever Six Nations appearance, and he will also become the first ever Italian official to referee in the tournament. It will undoubtedly be a very proud moment for him, and I would like to congratulate him and wish him all the best.

I’ve refereed matches across all levels, at the World Cup, in the Rugby Championship, some crucial, title-deciding games. But for me, nothing is as special as the Six Nations.

Aside from the World Cup, I would say it is the greatest rugby tournament in the world. Its history, its fans, it just makes it so special. You get such intense rivalries and when teams like England and Wales meet just once a year, it really is a massive event. There’s a reason why millions of people tune in to watch from around the world when they probably wouldn’t watch a rugby match the rest of the year.

As a referee, you always want to be involved in the Six Nations. It’s the tournament that really makes you feel as if you’ve made it as an international referee. There’s really nothing else like it.

Crowds play a big part in that. Taking charge of Rugby Championship games and things like that just isn’t the same. Yes, the quality of some of the games would be top notch, but atmosphere-wise, there is nothing like the Six Nations. Say you’re refereeing South Africa at home against New Zealand. Other than maybe a handful of All Black fans, the vast majority of the crowd is going to be made up of Springbok supporters, so the atmosphere is special but mostly one sided.

But this weekend, thousands of Welsh supporters will be going over to Dublin to either go to the stadium or fill the city’s bars and pubs to watch the match. There will be a lot of trips to other destinations in the Emerald Isle to watch the game too. There will be a fantastic noise inside the Aviva and all around the city, particularly given the rivalry this fixture has taken on in the last 15 years or so. Ireland are phenomenal at present but Gatland will be encouraging his young team, thus both sets of fans should have a great time during this game.

Andrea will undoubtedly have a truly unique experience as well. He earned this appointment by doing well both as an assistant referee at the World Cup and in the URC, and I’m confident that today will be both a proud and a good test for him and his family. It’s also an amazing accomplishment to be the first Italian referee in the history of the competition, and he should be quite proud of himself for that. He should treasure this game, therefore I hope it goes well for him.

I have already mentioned how refereeing a Six Nations game can make you feel like you’ve made it as a Test official. That’s certainly how I felt when I took charge of my first game in the tournament back in February 2007.

At Twickenham, England took on Italy, with players like Josh Lewsey, Mike Tindall, Jonny Wilkinson, and Phil Vickery starting for the home team. They had World Cup champions among their ranks, and I admit that I was a little anxious because of the large crowds both at the stadium and on TV at home. Overall though, I was proud.

One of my favorite stadiums to referee at is Twickenham. When I first walked in, there were already some fans waiting for the players to arrive on either side, and I could hear them calling out to me. The majority of them wished you luck, either “Good luck, Nige” or “Good luck, ref.” Occasionally, someone would exclaim, “Oh God help us, we’ve got a Welshman in charge today!”