Irish rugby fans mock ref's passport trouble

Welsh rugby referee Nigel Owens almost missed Friday's match in Ireland between Leinster and Italian club Zebre because he missed his flight in the morning.

Welsh rugby referee Nigel Owens almost missed Friday's match in Ireland between Leinster and Italian club Zebre because he missed his flight in the morning. 

Owens didn't know that the airline he was flying with required a passport to fly from England to Ireland, so he had to go home and get it. Leinster even offered (sarcastically?) to send its private jet to pick Owens up.

Help @Ryanair didn't now I had to have passport to travel with u to Ireland. Stuck in Bristol Airport. refin Leinster v Zebre tonite

— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) February 20, 2015

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Owens made it eventually and the fans gave him a good-natured ribbing with a passport poster. They even made it rugby-themed. 

Big thanks to the Leinster supporters for my new passport. What a great game rugby is that we can have some banter pic.twitter.com/tScn6TvPRC

— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) February 20, 2015

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.@Nigelrefowens finally has his passport! #LEINvZEB pic.twitter.com/Io1nBCUizq

— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) February 20, 2015

The fans might not have been in such a good mood if Owens' calls didn't go their way, but Leinster won, 29-8.

- Dan Gartland

[via Reddit]