Nigel Owens

The Rugby Football Union has launched an investigation into alleged homophobic and racial abuse of the Welsh referee Nigel Owens by a group of England supporters during the defeat by New Zealand at Twickenham last Saturday.

Owens told The Telegraph that he welcomed the investigation but revealed he has considered quitting the sport because of an increasing level of homophobic abuse in stadiums and on social media.

The investigation was launched after the RFU received an official complaint from a supporter who also outlined the extent of the alleged abuse directed at the 41 year-old official during England’s 21-24 defeat in a letter to The Guardian newspaper.

“As a lifelong rugby fan, a straight man in his 60s, I could not believe that a bunch of men half my age watching a rugby match in the 21st century could be capable of hurling such nasty, foul-mouthed, racist, homophobic abuse at an openly gay match official,” wrote Keith Wilson, from South Yorkshire.

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“My equally disgusted son is in his 30s but next to him, hearing this vitriol, was a little boy. I felt ashamed.”

Owens, who attempted suicide before coming out as gay in 2007 – two years after he had officiated in his first Test match between Japan and Ireland – urged the RFU to consider banning any supporter found guilty if the abuse was of a serious nature from Twickenham for life to send out a clear message.

“If someone has gone to the trouble to send a letter to the paper and say that this was disgusting and the behaviour was totally out of order, then I would think what they shouted was pretty bad and if that is the case then these people should be banned from the game,” said Owens.

“They need to be told that some behaviour is not acceptable, that crossing the line of what is humour and banter is a fine line but if you cross it then you have to put up with the consequences.”

Owens, who is regarded a role model for the gay community as one of the few openly gay people in professional sport, warned that rugby could not afford to be complacent in the face of what he described as ‘undercurrent of nastiness’ creeping into the game.

And he admitted there were times when he level of abuse he is subjected to made him consider walking away from the sport completely.

“What has become more evident is that while we may not be so aware of it on the field, I think we become more aware of it now through social media,” Owens said.

“When you see things that are tweeted by so-called rugby supporters about opposition teams and some of the tweets that I have had, you begin thinking ‘bloody hell, are these type of people really in our game?’

“I have had homophobic tweets and messages on Facebook from people who are shouting things that I could not repeat in your newspaper.

“It is creeping into the game and some of the tweets I have had are pretty nasty, really.

“Sometimes you get these comments and read these tweets and you think ‘do I really need this? Do I really need to do this job?’ It does get you down and I honestly think sometimes like saying ‘enough is enough, I will walk away from it all’.

“But then you get support from people and it makes you realise these are the minority and you have to pick yourself up and rise above it. It is not always easy to do that but you have to do it and get on.”

The RFU indicated on Wednesday it would contact Wilson as part of their investigation and said it took any allegations of abusive behaviour seriously, highlighted by the fact that it was engaged in a proactive campaign in education about values and behaviour which included putting up messages on its LED screens during the game about respect and showing a core values film to 1.9 million people via clubs and schools.

“The RFU condemns all forms of discrimination and aims to ensure that all people, irrespective of their age, gender, ability, race, religion, ethnic origin, creed, colour, nationality, social status or sexual orientation, have a genuine and equal opportunity to enjoy rugby in whatever form, on or off the pitch, at all levels and in all roles.

“We take any allegations of any abuse very seriously and are investigating this matter.”

Owens said he took heart from the actions of ‘genuine rugby people’ like Wilson in protesting against homophobic abuse but said it the game required more people like him to take a stand to help eradicate it from the game.

“I don’t think it is huge problem in rugby but I think it is an increasing problem and as last Saturday has proven,” Owens added.

“People have said when I came out I would be a role model to young people who are dealing with becoming who they are within rugby and other sports and I understand that now but the people who do the more good are not myself but are the people like Keith Wilson who stood up to these louts.

“They are the true, genuine rugby people who can make a difference more than I can.”