Nigel Owens says he plans to start a family with his partner over the coming months as the couple look to begin the adoption process.
The former international Test referee recently hung up his whistle after a glittering 17-year career, and now runs a farm in the Gwendraeth Valley with his long-term partner Barrie Jones-Davies, a primary school teacher. You can read all about the farm here.
Owens recently told WalesOnline the pair were considering starting a family, and they are now ready to take the plunge.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph about his life after rugby, he said: “We were thinking about surrogacy.
READ MORE: Nigel Owens wants to have children as he prepares to say goodbye to international rugby
“But there seemed to be a bit of risk: time, emotion, the danger it wouldn’t work in the end. So, going down the adoption route is the more realistic option.
"We’ll probably start that process in the next few months. It’ll take a while. A couple of kids, I hope.”
While the world of international rugby is undoubtedly a less colourful place without him in the middle, Owens admits he's not really missing it, and claims to be content with life on the farm.
“I did worry, ‘How am I going to cope?’ he continued
"Everything would take second place to rugby: friends, weddings. But I have always wanted to be a farmer. Growing up, there was a little farm behind where I lived.
"I would sneak through a hole in the fence in the field just to help them. My grandmother used to make her own butter.
“A couple of smallholdings came up but I didn’t want to move away from the area. I was able to invest a bit of money and buy the land, the cattle, the machinery, put the sheds up. It has fulfilled an ambition - and it has helped me.
"With finishing the refereeing, the transition has been seamless.”
Owens previously told WalesOnline: "I've got lots of cousins, they're older now but they used to come over and stay, come to games with me and things like that. I've got lots of godchildren too.
"Maybe people think I'm good with kids because I can give them back when I've had enough!
"But it is something me and my partner have spoken about. I think when we get things done up on the farm we have, we're going to rebuild the house and move a couple of miles up there, maybe we will (have children).
"I would like to have kids. Circumstances haven't allowed it until now for many reasons, particularly with refereeing, which has been a massive commitment for the best part of the last 20 years."
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