Nigel Walker
Walker has had a number of achievements as an athlete and as a rugby player. After retirement, he moved to managerial roles in sports, and achieved a lot in that aspect too. He is known as a sportsperson who was successful in both athletics and rugby and who still stayed very active after his retirement.
15 June 1963
Cardiff, Wales
Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Wales
Jamaican and British
1984 – reached the semi final in 110m hurdles in the Olympic Games
1987 – came third in 60m hurdles in the European Indoor Championships
1987 – reached the semi finals in 110m hurdles in the World Championships
1989 – reached the semi finals in 60m hurdles in European Indoor Championship 1991 – reached the semi final in 60m hurdles in the World Indoor Championships
Nigel Walker was born to Jamaican parents and grew up in Cardiff with his parents and siblings. His sister ran for the Cardiff Athletics Club and his brother played football, tennis and cricket. His family was one that loved sport, and this shaped his childhood and his career.
ATHLETICS
Walker started his career in athletics in hurdles. In 1986, he participated in the European Championships and was placed fourth in the 110m hurdles. He also got a bronze medal for 60m hurdles in the European and World Indoor Championships in 1987. His athletics career was short lived when he failed to qualify for the 1992 summer Olympics squad.
RUGBY
Walker joined the rugby club for Cardiff, and he played as a winger. In March 1993 he played his first game against Ireland. He appeared in 121 games playing for Cardiff, and 17 games playing for the Wales national team. He made his final appearance on 21 February 1998 against England.
Walker was once a Development Officer for the Sports Council for Wales. He became the National Director of the English Institute of Sport in 2010 where he spent 11 years, leaving in 2021. He currently works as the Performance Director at the Welsh Rugby Union.
Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Walker went to University of South Wales for his tertiary education. He retired from rugby in 1998 and was later appointed as the Head of Sport at BBC Wales in 2001. He was been a participant in a Welsh Programme called Catchphrase in 2000.
Sebastian Barrett, ‘My First Cap: Nigel Walker’ https://www.wru.wales/article/my-first-cap-nigel-walker/ [accessed 1st March 2022]
ISEH, ‘Nigel Walker’, https://www.iseh.co.uk/consultantdetails/board%20member/54/Nigel-Walker [accessed 1st March 2022]
People Pill, ‘Nigel Walker’ https://peoplepill.com/people/nigel-walker-1 [accessed 1st March 2022]
Chris Kirwan ‘Former Wales wing Nigel Walker takes up role with WRU’, https://www.thenational.wales/sport/19442191.former-wales-wing-nigel-walker-takes-role-wru/ [accessed 1st March 2022]
