Renowned referee the keynote speaker at Buccaneers event

Buccaneers RFC will have renowned and highly entertaining former referee Nigel Owens as the keynote speaker at the Athlone club's upcoming Business Networking Lunch.

The event takes place at the Sheraton Athlone Hotel early in the new year, on Friday, February 28.

Owens previously held the world record for the most test matches refereed and the Welsh man took charge of the 2015 Rugby World Cup final in which New Zealand defeated Australia.

The high profile referee came out publicly as gay in 2007 and he has been praised for raising awareness of various issues that can affect people's enjoyment of sporting activity.

In 2016, he was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to sport. A native of Carmarthenshire in Wales, Owens is a fluent Welsh speaker and a regular contributor on various media platforms.

Tickets for the Buccaneers event have been selling well, but there are some still available at the time of writing - email rugby@dubarrypark.com for more information.