Nigel Starmer-Smith

Nigel Starmer-Smith

Birth name	Nigel Christopher Starmer-Smith
Date of birth	(1944-12-25)25 December 1944
Place of birth	Cheltenham, England
School	Magdalen College School, Oxford
University	University College, Oxford
Occupation(s)	teacher, commentator, journalist
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Oxford University RFC Harlequins Barbarian F.C. () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1969–1971 England 7 (0)

Nigel Starmer-Smith (25 December 1944) 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.

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 has been the lead television commentator on the IRB Sevens World Series for a number of years. He is also lead columnist for the global rugby sevens portal, UR7s.com.