Alastair Hignell

Alastair James Hignell (born Cambridge 4 September 1955) is a former English rugby union and cricket player.

Hignell is the son of a former Great Britain athlete. He won blues at Cambridge at both cricket and rugby union, and by the time he graduated from university in 1977 he had already made several England appearances at full back. He made his England debut in 1975 in a brutal encounter with Australia in Brisbane - eight days later he was playing for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Bristol and five weeks later he made 60 in the Varsity match.

After leaving university, he continued playing rugby for Bristol and England in the winter, while also working as a teacher (including at Bristol Cathedral School and Sherborne School), and cricket for Gloucestershire in the summer. As a right-handed batsman, he scored solidly rather than spectacularly, passing 1,000 runs in a season three times, including his final season in 1983, before his retirement. He won the last of his 14 England rugby caps in 1978-79.

Hignell continued to teach until he moved into journalism full time and he became a respected reporter, as well as working extensively on BBC Radio. In 1999, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has since been an active fundraiser.

His final commentary for BBC Radio Five Live was the 2007-08 Guinness Premiership Final at Twickenham, where London Wasps beat Leicester Tigers 26–16. Retiring Wasps captain Lawrence Dallaglio dedicated the victory to Hignell. [cite news
title = Dallaglio - It's not about me
url = http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_reaction/0,20244,11069_3000090,00.html
publisher = SKY Sports
date = 2008-05-31
accessdate = 2008-05-31]

References

External links

* [http://content-www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/14190.html Cricinfo]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com Cricket Archive]
* [http://sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp/HeroID=1427 Sporting Heroes]
* [http://www.bris.ac.uk/cms/go/hon-degree/Jul2004/jul-hignell.html Bristol University Honorary Degree]

Persondata
NAME=Hignell, Alastair James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=English rugby full-back and broadcaster
DATE OF BIRTH=4 September 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=