Alastair Hignell
Encyclopedia
Alastair James Hignell CBE
(born 4 September 1955 in Cambridge
) is a former English rugby union
international and cricket
er.
Hignell is the son of a former Great Britain athlete.
and rugby union
, and by the time he graduated from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
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.
Many references spell the given name 'Alister' or 'Alistair'.
. 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. Later in 2008 he provided weekly rugby podcasts on the This is Bristol
website.
Hignell won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award
in 2008 for his work in spreading awareness of multiple sclerosis.
Hignell was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
In 2008, inspired by Alastair's heroic achievements on and off the pitch, Higgy's Heroes, a fundraising body linked to the MSRC 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 Higgy, 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.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 4 September 1955 in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
) is a former English rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er.
Hignell is the son of a former Great Britain athlete.
Sporting career
Hignell won Blues at Cambridge in both cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, and by the time he graduated from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge in England.The college traces its origins back to 1869 and the foundation of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, a venture intended to offer students from less financially privileged backgrounds a chance to study...
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
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
- eight days later he was playing for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Bristol and five weeks later he made 60 in the Varsity match
Varsity match
A varsity match is a sporting fixture between two university rivals; in its original and most common form, it is used to describe meetings between Oxford University and Cambridge University.-Popular British and Irish Varsity matches:*University of Oxford v...
.
After leaving university, he continued playing rugby for Bristol
Bristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
and England in the winter, while also working as a teacher (including at Bristol Cathedral School
Bristol Cathedral School
Bristol Cathedral Choir School , until 2008 known as Bristol Cathedral School, is a non-selective musical Academy in Bristol, England. It is situated next to Bristol Cathedral, in the centre of the city. The choristers at Bristol Cathedral are educated at the school, which has a strong musical...
and Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
), and cricket for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
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.
Many references spell the given name 'Alister' or 'Alistair'.
Journalism
Hignell continued to teach until he moved into journalism full time and he became a respected reporter, as well as working extensively on BBC RadioBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
. In 1999, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
and has since been an active fundraiser.
His final commentary for BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
was the 2007-08 Guinness Premiership
2007-08 Guinness Premiership
The 2007–08 Guinness Premiership was the 21st season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions, played between September 2007 and May 2008. Due to the 2007 Rugby World Cup the season started slightly later than normal, as England were trying to defend their title...
Final at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
, where London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
beat Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
26–16. Retiring Wasps captain Lawrence Dallaglio
Lawrence Dallaglio
Lorenzo Bruno Nero "Lawrence" Dallaglio, OBE is a retired English rugby union player and former captain of the English national team. He played as a flanker or number eight for London Wasps and never played for another club, having arrived at Sudbury as a teenager...
dedicated the victory to Hignell. Later in 2008 he provided weekly rugby podcasts on the This is Bristol
Bristol Evening Post
The Bristol Evening Post is a newspaper covering news in the city of Bristol, including stories from the whole of Greater Bristol, Northern Somerset and South Gloucestershire....
website.
Hignell won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. The award is given "for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity", and the winner is selected by BBC Sport...
in 2008 for his work in spreading awareness of multiple sclerosis.
Hignell was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
Charity Work
Alastair Hignell became Patron of the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre (MSRC) in 2002 and has since been active in raising funds for the charity.In 2008, inspired by Alastair's heroic achievements on and off the pitch, Higgy's Heroes, a fundraising body linked to the MSRC was created. Initially a one-off idea by a group of ex-teammates and opponents who decided to run the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
in tribute to Higgy, 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
Stroud
Stroud a town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England.Stroud may also refer to:*Stroud, New South Wales, Australia*Stroud, Ontario, Canada*Stroud , Gloucestershire, UK*Stroud...
Half Marathon.