Date of birth | 4 September 1955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Ely, Cambridgeshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | Cambridge University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable relative(s) | AF Hignell (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | Jeannie (married 1980) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | Adam, Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | Schoolmaster and Professional Cricketer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Official website | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://www.alastairhignell.com |
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Alastair James Hignell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Ely, Cambridgeshire | 4 September 1955|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm leg-break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relations | Antony Hignell (father) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1974–1983 | Gloucestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1975–1978 | Cambridge University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FC debut | 24 July 1974 Gloucestershire v Surrey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last FC | 30 August 1983 Gloucestershire v Nottinghamshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LA debut | 11 August 1974 Gloucestershire v Northants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last LA | 28 August 1983 Gloucestershire v Lancashire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:CricketArchive,16 December 2008 |
Alastair James Hignell CBE (born 4 September 1955 [1] ) is an English former rugby union international,first–class cricketer,and broadcaster.
Hignell was born at Ely,Cambridgeshire and educated at Denstone College,an independent boarding school for boys,in the village of Denstone in Staffordshire in Central England before going up to Fitzwilliam College,Cambridge. Hignell won Blues at Cambridge in both cricket and rugby union,and when he graduated in 1977 he had already made several England appearances at full back. [2] He was the second man to captain Cambridge at both cricket and rugby union. [3]
Hignell made his England rugby union 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 [4] 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 Wasps beat Leicester Tigers 26–16. Retiring Wasps captain Lawrence Dallaglio dedicated the victory to Hignell. [5] Later in 2008 he provided weekly rugby podcasts on the This is Bristol website. [6]
Alastair Hignell became Patron of Multiple Sclerosis UK (MS-UK) (formally Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre) in 2002 and has since been active in raising funds for the charity. [7] [8]
In 2008,inspired by Alastair's heroic achievements on and off the pitch,Higgy's Heroes,a fundraising body linked to MS-UK was created. Initially a one-off idea by a group of ex-teammates and opponents who decided to run the London Marathon in tribute to Hignell,the name and the idea continued beyond this one event. Since then there have been a number of Higgy's Heroes fundraising events largely based on physical achievements or sports activities. These include participants at the London Marathon and a regular large turn out in Alastair's home town for the yearly Stroud Half Marathon. [9] [10] [11] Alastair moved to Brighton after living in Stroud for four years.
Hignell won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award in 2008 for his work in spreading awareness of multiple sclerosis. [8]
Hignell was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours. [12]
He won the 'Best Rugby Book' category in the 2012 British Sports Book Awards for the book Higgy. [13]
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire,England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021.
Wasps Rugby Football Club was a professional rugby union team. They last played in Premiership Rugby,the top division of English rugby,until being suspended on 12 October 2022. On 17 October 2022,the club entered administration,resulting in relegation from the league and all staff being made redundant. They exited administration on 16 December 2022.
Lorenzo Bruno Nero Dallaglio,known as Lawrence Dallaglio,is an English retired rugby union player,former captain of England,and 2016 inductee of the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Richard Anthony Hill is a former rugby union footballer who played as a flanker for Saracens and England.
Owen Joshua Lewsey MBE is an English former rugby union player who represented England and the British and Irish Lions. Lewsey is a former British Army Officer.
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College,also known as SGS College,is a college of further education and higher education based in South Gloucestershire and Stroud,England. It was established in February 2012 following the merger of Filton College and Stroud College. The college is made up of six campuses located in and around Bristol,North Bristol,South Gloucestershire and Stroud. In 2021,the college launched a University Centre at its WISE campus after being awarded university centre status by the Department for Education.
Raphaël Ibañez is a retired French rugby union footballer. A hooker,he played for the France national team 98 times,and as captain 41 times. After a career in club rugby management,he became Team Manager for France in 2020.
Alastair Nigel Bressington is a former English cricketer and rugby union player. He was a left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler. Bressington was born in Bristol,and he was educated at University of Wales Institute,Cardiff.
David John Hume Walder is an English rugby union coach and former rugby union footballer who is currently Senior Backs &Attack Skills Coach at Bristol Bears.
The 1975 England rugby union tour of Australia was a series of eight matches played by the England national rugby union team in Australia in May and June 1975. England won only four of the eight matches and lost both internationals to Australia. In addition to the two test defeats they also lost to the Sydney and New South Wales Country representative teams.
Archway School is a comprehensive co-educational school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Stroud,Gloucestershire,England. The headteacher is Kieron Smith.
Antony Francis Hignell was an English cricketer and javelin thrower.
Bristol has a number of notable professional sports teams and a large number of active amateur sports clubs. There are also large numbers of participants in individual sports. The city has two Football League clubs:Bristol City F.C.,who play in the second tier,and Bristol Rovers F.C.,who play in the third tier. Gloucestershire County Cricket Club has its headquarters in the city. Bristol Bears are currently in Premiership Rugby.
Counties 1 Western North is an English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties,in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called Western Counties North and Western Counties West. Western Counties North was renamed Counties 1 Western North prior to the 2022–23 season and is currently a seventh tier league for clubs based in the south-west of England;mainly Bristol,Gloucestershire and Somerset. The champions are promoted to South West 1 West and the runner-up plays the second team in Western Counties West,with the winning team gaining promotion. The number of teams relegated depends on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above,but is usually two or three to Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier. Although 2nd XV rugby is part of the Somerset regional league system,only 1st XV teams are allowed in Tribute Western Counties North. Since 2021/22 2nd xv teams have been allowed in Counties 1 Tribute Western North but under current RFU Rules they are unable to be promoted beyond here.
Denstone College is an independent,coeducational boarding school in Denstone,Staffordshire,England. Its alumni are known as Old Denstonians (ODs). The Denstone Association looks after the College's alumni.
Gloucester Premier is an English rugby union league which sits at the eighth level of league rugby union in England with teams largely being based in the county of Gloucestershire and Bristol. Originally a single division called Gloucestershire/Somerset,in 2000 the division split into two county leagues called Gloucester Premier and Somerset Premier.
The Sports Book Awards is a British literary award for sports writing. It was first awarded in 2003 as part of the National Sporting Club. Awards are presented in multiple categories. Each category is judged by one of:sports writers and broadcasters,retailers and enthusiasts. The winners from each category are then opened to public vote through a website to choose an overall winner. The other major sports writing award in Britain is the William Hill Sports Book of the Year.
David Alastair Standish Compston is a British neurologist. He is an emeritus professor of neurology in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge and an emeritus fellow of Jesus College,Cambridge.
Toby James Allchurch is an English former rugby union footballer. Allchurch represented England on the 1979 England rugby union tour of Japan,Fiji and Tonga.
The 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award,held on 14 December at the Echo Arena in Liverpool,was the 55th presentation of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Presented by Sue Barker,Gary Lineker,and,for the first time,Jake Humphrey,the show was broadcast on BBC One. Awarded annually by the BBC,the main titular award honours an individual's British sporting achievement over the past year. The winner was selected by public vote from a 10-person shortlist. Other awards presented include team,coach,and young personality of the year.