Regrettably, Nigel Owens is now unable to speak at the Orrell Sports Dinner on 8th March, due to on-going rugby & filming commitments. We are happy to say that he has agreed to reschedule for 2019 and the Club are currently in discussions with him to find a mutually convenient date.

However, the Club is delighted to announce that the 2003 World Cup winner and member of the legendary England back row, Neil Back MBE has agreed to speak at the dinner instead.

Synonymous with one of the world’s most celebrated sports, Rugby legend Neil Back continued to make his mark on the face of international rugby throughout his long career.

Capped 66 Times for England and touring three times with British & Irish Lions , 1997 SA series winners, 2001 Australia, 2005 NZ - winning a total of 5 caps. Deemed too small to become an international player, through dedication and sheer hard work, Neil secured his place in the now famous England back row of Hill, Dallagio and Back.

Renowned for his passion, dedication and incredible skill on the pitch, Neil Back is a true sportsman. His tenacity and spirit guaranteed that he was an instrumental part of England’s 2003 world cup winning side and his unwavering dedication to the sport has continually reinforced his position as one of the most recognisable and influential players that the sport has seen in recent times.

His career has seen him play for some of the most formidable sides in the game and he captained both the Leicester Tigers squad and the England team to victory. Back played alongside fellow rugby legends such as Martin Johnson and was part of a team so successful that the 2000/01 season saw them collect trophies for the Zurich Premiership and Zurich Championship, as well as the Heineken Cup at Parc des Princes.

The Club is absolutely delighted that Neil will be joining us for our Sports Dinner and are really looking forward to listening to him talk about his life and outstanding rugby career.

We still have a few tickets left for this great evening of entertainment. Tickets are priced at £45 a head and can be booked via Dave Hewlett or email enquiries@orrellrugbyunion.com.

Don’t miss out on your chance to hear one of England’s finest rugby legends and perhaps do a bit of networking (euphemism for having a drink) with friends and guests and a thoroughly enjoyable night courtesy of Orrell RUFC.

Testimonials such as the one below have only added to our excitement for the evening:

"I picked up Neil from his Hotel and he was waiting for me in reception. He was immaculately dressed and straight away he came across in a friendly manner.

In the back of my car was my wife and two of my boys Cameron (13) and Rory (11). Neil introduced himself and immediately started talking to my boys about their rugby. We arrived at the rugby club and Neil continued his conversation with the boys for another five minutes. He then did something very special. He pulled out his World Cup medal and handed it to Rory. Well the look on that little boys face was priceless.

As soon as we entered the clubhouse Neil introduced himself to some of the guests. He was relaxed and came across as sincere and genuinely interested in them. Neil's speech was excellent. It was just the right length and had many funny stories as well as giving an insight into Premiership rugby and that 2003 World Cup campaign.

Neil was eager to keep things moving along as he wanted to get into the bar so he could mingle with the guests. I thought that summed up Neil’s whole attitude towards the evening. He wanted to be a part of the event and wanted to make sure that our guests could talk with him in a more relaxed environment. I have had lots of very positive feedback from the conversations our guest had with Neil.

At midnight Neil's taxi arrived. I said that we had to go but I could see he was not ready and asked if he would like me to put the taxi back. 'Yes please' was his reply. I think again this showed that Neil was not just there to grab his fee and go. He genuinely wanted to have a good night out with likeminded people.

So a great and genuine guy who put his heart and soul into the night. Chairman Whitchurch Rugby Mini & Junior Section