Legendary referee Nigel Owens has picked out the three stadiums he played in that produced the best atmosphere, and surprisingly left out his beloved Principality in Cardiff
#5. Stade de France, Paris
Owens wrote: "When you’re inside the Stade de France it’s an incredible stadium. The atmosphere is up there with the best and I absolutely loved refereeing there but the actual location of the stadium is not the best, there isn’t a lot going on around it, it’s the total opposite to Cardiff in many ways."
#4. Thomond Park, Limerick
Owens wrote: "For me, few things beat Thomond Park on a European Cup weekend. That is an experience that should be on every rugby fan’s bucket list. When there are 28,000 in there for games against the likes of Toulouse, Leicester or Clermont – all of which I’ve refereed there – then it doesn’t half take some beating."
Credit: Karmacomatic
#3. Croke Park, Dublin
Owens wrote: "I refereed Leinster v Munster here in the Heineken Cup semi-final in 2009. It was like an international day, there was a sea of blue and red descending on the stadium. The attendance of over 82,000 set a record at the time and the atmosphere was remarkable."
The view from Roinn B2, on the Hill Terrace, for the 2004 All-Ireland Football Final.
#2. Twickenham Stadium, London
Owens wrote: "It will always be a special place for me because it’s where I took charge of the World Cup final and my first ever Six Nations match, but there is more to this selection than just that.
"Surprisingly, for a match where the host nation wasn’t involved, with a lot of neutral supporters in the ground, the atmosphere was special."
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#1. Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Owens wrote: "The game was South Africa v New Zealand in 2013 and the atmosphere that day was just something to behold. The game itself was just unbelievable and played at such a pace, without a doubt the best I ever refereed.
"The All Blacks won 38-27, there were nine tries and some of them were stunning. The crowd really got into the game, as they always do in South Africa, and it made for a truly special memory."
