About Alastair Hignell (0)
- 27 Jul 07, 09:58 AM
I will be 52 during the opening week of Rugby World Cup 2007. This will be my sixth World Cup as a journalist, having acted as anchorman for 91Èȱ¬ Radio in 1987, commentated in 1991 for ITV, for whom I anchored the 1995 coverage from South Africa, before returning to 91Èȱ¬ Radio, and commentary, for the Rugby World Cups of 1999 and 1993.
As a sportsman in the 1970s, I played rugby for Bristol, Cambridge University( four Blues-1 as captain), Gloucestershire, the Barbarians and England (debut 1975 v Australia,14 caps 1975-79) and cricket for Cambridge University(4 Blues- two as captain) and Gloucestershire ( from 1974-83, capped 1977, century against the West Indies, 1000 runs in a season on 2 occasions).
After graduating with a History degree and a PGCE from Cambridge, I taught at Bristol Cathedral School and Sherborne before joining the 91Èȱ¬ in 1985 as a junior sports trainee ( in the same batch, I am told, as John Inverdale, Mark Saggers and football commentator Ian Brown). I moved to HTV in Bristol in 1989 and worked on daily sports programmes as well as rugby documentaries until 1996, when I joined the fledgling Radio Five Live.
I have been married to Jeannie for 27 years and have 2 sons, Adam (25) and Daniel (24). I live in the West Country.
I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1999, but with a lot of help from my friends- especially 91Èȱ¬ rugby correspondent Ian Robertson- and a lot of support from my family and the wider sporting world, I have managed to keep working. My electric scooter is now a familiar sight at all the world’s big stadia.
I am patron of the MSRC- all contributions always welcome, please give generously- and I help raise funds for my local MS Therapy centre at Nailsea near Bristol, which I attend weekly for treatment.
Alastair Hignell is a former England rugby international who commentates on rugby union for Radio 5 Live. He is covering England at the World Cup. 5 Live's full broadcast schedule is here.
