- Mike Carr
- 27 Jul 07, 01:18 PM
I'm the Rugby Editor for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Sport, along with my day job as Assistant Editor of Midweek 5live Sport.
At the moment it's all rugby, with my main role being the co-ordination of 5live's coverage of the World Cup. Over the next two months we'll be broadcasting a whole range of programmes and live commentaries with a wonderful line-up including the likes of John Inverdale, Matt Dawson, Gavin Hastings and Ian Roberston.
Rugby Union is my passion. I grew up watching my Dad play for (not a Shark in sight in those days) at Heywood Road. I didn't quite have the talent of my Dad - but I played a lot of junior rugby, plus a few years in the States coaching and playing in South Carolina and Louisiana.
I tried mixing it with the big boys at - but a knee injury cut short my unpromising career. Sale remains my team - but not a fan of Edgley Park! Strangely, as an Englishman, my favourite all time player is .
I did manage to get my boots back on in 5live's reinactment of Jonny's drop goal... as an Australian! Getting to tackle Matt Dawson was probably the highlight of my career - although it took a fair few takes!
Rugby is a wonderful social sport - it has given me friends for life (and a limp), and on 5live we want to capture the excitement in the stadiums, but also back home as people gather to watch the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Nations in action. Your comments on our coverage will be most welcome.
For what's its worth I can't back against New Zealand. From the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Nations Ireland and a fit O'Driscoll will make the semis.
- Alastair Hignell
- 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 ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio in 1987, commentated in 1991 for ITV, for whom I anchored the 1995 coverage from South Africa, before returning to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 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 ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 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 ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 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.
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