Former Test referee Nigel Owens says he would like to see Bakkies Botha play professional football and Cristiano Ronaldo make the opposite switch to rugby.
During the latest episode of World Rugby’s ‘Whistle Watch’, Owens was asked to swap one rugby player and one football player for each other’s sport.
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“I think I would put Ronaldo,” Owens answered. “It was between Ronaldo and Messi, but I think I will go with Ronaldo because I just want to see what he’s like when he gets tackled properly. And his skills, of course, put him maybe at flyhalf or fullback.
“Who do I bring from rugby into football? Do you know what? I am going to put Bakkies Botha. So, then they will know what it really is like to have a big hit on the football field.”
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Should Ireland have received a red card at the weekend? Would @Cristiano make it in rugby? And what would football make of @BakkiesBotha4?@Nigelrefowens answers all the big questions#WhistleWatch presented by @emirates pic.twitter.com/JMJvl4I70X
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) July 20, 2022
Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images
