Rugby legend Moore to hang up microphone after 26 years

Former England hooker Brian Moore will end his broadcast commentary career after working on England's Women's Six Nations decider against France on Sunday.

The 64-year-old, who won 64 caps for his country and toured twice with the British and Irish Lions, will hang up the microphone after 26 years as a co-commentator for BBC Sport and others.

On his future plans, Moore wrote in his Daily Telegraph column, external that there are "other things coming up which I will be able to divulge next month".

"Having been a supporter of women's rugby since 1991, it was tremendous to co-commentate on England's recent World Cup win and it is delightfully appropriate for my final game to see them take on France for a record-breaking fifth consecutive Grand Slam," he added.

"It has been an honour and a pleasure to be allowed into many nations' front rooms, clubhouses and bars over many years. Thank you for memories and if you didn't like me, well, you can't please everybody."

Moore, who is also a solicitor, passed a Rugby Football Union refereeing exam in 2010, external to better understand the rules of the game and the difficulty in enforcing them.

"This brought home the difficulty of refereeing a hugely complex game, which is substantially more difficult when it is played at the lightning pace of elite rugby and by players who will push every advantage they can and at every opportunity," he added.

"However, it also confirmed that referees could easily spot things like not-straight feeds at the scrum, something they have consistently and disingenuously claimed is impossible. I will remain frustrated that my attempts to get referees to enforce the straight feed law have failed."

'One of women's rugby's first male allies'

It's been an honour commentating with Brian for the past decade.

Naturally I was petrified at the start - he and Eddie Butler were the voices of men's rugby that I'd been brought up with.

I'd heard the rants, the laughs, the symbiosis they had. How on earth would I ever fit into this world.

Along with Eddie he'd helped create some of rugby union's most memorable broadcasting moments.

I was never going to be Eddie (or Bill [McLaren], Nick [Mullins] or Andrew [Cotter]) and Brian has never asked me to be.

When 'Mooro' sat down next to me at Twickenham in 2016, he produced a pasty from his pocket, slammed it down on the desk and gave me the warmest smile and hug.