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Nigel Starmer-Smith

Nigel Starmer-Smith
Birth nameNigel Christopher Starmer-Smith
Date of birth (1944-12-25) 25 December 1944 (age 80)
Place of birthCheltenham, England
SchoolMagdalen College School, Oxford
UniversityUniversity 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 (born 25 December 1944)[1] is a British retired international rugby union player, British rugby journalist and commentator.

He was educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford and University College, Oxford. After university, Starmer-Smith briefly trained at a shipping management firm before choosing to focus on a career in rugby.[2]

Playing career

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Starmer-Smith played scrum-half for Oxford University (as a student at University College, Oxford) before progressing to senior club, Harlequins. He retired in 1975–76. 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.[2]

Non-playing career and journalism

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In the late 1960s he taught geography at Epsom College.

He edited Rugby World magazine and narrated Rugby Special for the BBC for 15 years.[3] He also commentated on Olympic hockey for the BBC, but had to make way for Barry Davies ahead of the 1988 Olympic Final.

During the 2003 World Cup in Australia, Starmer-Smith commentated for ITV Sport's coverage.

Starmer-Smith was the lead television commentator on the IRB Sevens World Series and also lead columnist for the global rugby sevens portal, UR7s.com during the 2000s.

On the 28 March 2021 edition of the BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast show, Starmer-Smith's son Charlie revealed that he had been suffering from frontotemporal dementia since around 2015 and was living in a nursing home. Charlie subsequently wrote the song "Spotlight" to raise proceeds for charities treating dementia.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Nigel Starmer Smith rugby player profile Scrum.com
  2. ^ a b Nigel Starmer-Smith at Rugby-heroes.net
  3. ^ "Nigel Starmer-Smith: Rugby in the Olympics will mean more countries at the top table". Inside the Games. 30 July 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  4. ^ Ryan, Jon (29 November 2021). "Son of BBC's voice of rugby Nigel Starmer-Smith pens top ten hit with proceeds to dementia charities". Sports Journalists' Association. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2025.