C’mon, Reff review – an adaptation of Nigel Owens’ inspiring autobiography

C’mon, Reff is an adaptation of the honest and wide-ranging autobiography of Nigel Owens – the first gay man in professional rugby to come out.

The book, adapted by author Elin Meek and part of the Amdani series, was recommended in Unit 16 of the Learn Welsh Canolradd (intermediate) course.

The blurb says: “Mae Nigel Owens, un o reffarîs rygbi gorau’r byd, yn sôn yn onest iawn am ei blentyndod, ei waith, ei deithiau, ei deulu, ei iselder a’i rywioldeb.”

That means: “Nigel Owens, one of the best rugby referees in the world, talks very honestly about his childhood, his work, his travels, his family, his depression and his sexuality.”

Some useful rugby vocab:

bachwr – hooker

blaenasgellwr – flanker

camsefyll – to be offside

cefnwr – full-back

dyfarnwr – referee

Owens’ autobiography Hanner Amser (Half Time) was published in Welsh in 2008, then in English in 2009. This adaptation was published by Y Lolfa in 2018.

The book is around 100 pages long and divided into short chapters with headings like gwyliau pan o’n i’n blentyn (holidays when I was a child).

Other chapters include dechrau mwynhau perfformio (starting to enjoy performing) and dechrau dyfarnu (starting to referee) and are illustrated with black and white photos.

To be honest, I’m not really that interested in rugby. I know! What can I say? It’s just not my thing. But it was very interesting to read about such an inspiring member of the LGBTQ+ community.

There certainly is a lot about rugby – from his views on technology in refereeing, to his first time refereeing a match on live TV and his experiences of refereeing international matches.

Samsara review – a powerful story about gender identity

As you might expect, I learned quite a bit of sporting vocabulary – dyfarnwr (referee), cefnwr (full-back), cynghrair (league), chwiban (whistle), bachwr (hooker), gêm gynderfynol (semi-final)…

But Owens talks about more than just his professional life, also bravely and openly discussing his experiences of steroid use, his first visit to a gay club, “coming out” and bulimia.

Overall, this was a fascinating insight into the life of an inspiring individual. The Amdani series has got me reading everything from comedy romance to crime thriller, so I’m pleased to add sports autobiography to the list!