After this week’s match official appointments announcement, Welsh referee Nigel Owens can look forward to running out in familiar surroundings later this year.

Carmarthenshire-born match official Nigel Owens is set to take charge of three pool stage matches at Rugby world Cup 2015, including a potentially decisive showdown between Ireland and France at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

We caught up with Owens, who was at the Sport Wales LGBT Rugby Tournament this week, to talk about the build-up to this year’s Rugby World Cup.

Nigel, you have refereed at the past two Rugby World Cups, how has the game developed over the last eight years?

Nigel Owens: “If you look back to when I refereed at Rugby World Cup 2007, I think it’s fair to say that the game has changed, and most definitely for the better. I know that defence is a big part of the game now, but back then there was a lot of kicking and there wasn’t much space.

“But when you think about some of the games we’ve had over the last 18 months, there have been some great matches. The Rugby Championship game between South Africa and New Zealand in 2013 is still talked about as one of the best games of the century [New Zealand won 38-27 to win the competition].

“And then we had the last weekend of this year’s Six Nations, which was probably a day of rugby that won’t be repeated. It was just a marvellous day with three brilliant matches and let’s hope that the game carries on going from strength to strength.”

As a referee you’ll surely have one of the best views in the house at Rugby World Cup 2015, do you still get the same excitement as when you started?

NO: “Well you know what, I’m not sure it is the best view in the house because you’re constantly thinking about what’s going on around you. You’re so focused on the task in hand that it’s only when you go home and look at the games again and think ‘oh, what a good try that was’ or ‘what a game that was’.

“But to be part of the game, and to be on that field and part of the most wonderful of occasions, is something very special. It’s something that very few of us are privileged to be a part of, and that excitement doesn’t change.”

How much emphasis do referees put on being in peak physical condition?

NO: “We were fitness tested ahead of Rugby World Cup 2015 and there’s a definite requirement to be in the best shape we can be. All of the referees from all of the countries represented will have their own fitness coaches and that’s crucial. I train with my fitness coach for two or three supervised sessions a week and then train another two or three times on my own.

“As I said, the game has changed a lot in the last few years. It’s quicker, the ball is in play for longer and you have got to make those big key decisions in the last minute with the same clarity as you would in the first minute. There’s huge emphasis on it now and is something we all do. But I can tell you, it doesn’t get any easier as you get older!”

There are 12 Rugby World Cup 2015 referees, and collectively you have officiated 361 internationals with an average of 30 Tests each. How important is that experience?

NO: “It’s a lot of experience; but there will be some who have only refereed a handful of Tests and may not be as experienced, and others who have been around for quite a few years. This time round I think it’s only myself and Wayne Barnes that have refereed in Rugby World Cups since 2007.

“There is a lot of Test match rugby now in a season. It’s not like years ago when you could do one Five Nations game and maybe one other game and that was it for the year, now you could be refereeing well over five internationals in a year, so you get experience very quickly.”

You’re first game sees Tonga take on Georgia in Gloucester, what are your expectations for that match?

NO: “I’m looking forward to it. Tonga are always physical and play with style, and Georgia are an emerging nation. They’re big men in a strong team, so it will be great battle I’m sure.

“But I have got three exciting games to look forward to, and I’m looking forward to each and every one. After Tonga v Georgia it’s South Africa v Scotland, which will be a big game in that group. Then France v Ireland at the Millennium Stadium, which is another massive game and there’s an extra bit of excitement for me, because it’s the first time I’ll have refereed an international in my home country which is quite special.”

Wales have a tough pool. With your Welsh hat on, do you think that they will progress?

NO: “This is probably the most open Rugby World Cup we’ve seen. There are more teams than ever that are quite capable of going on and winning that trophy, and I think Wales are one of them.

“Obviously as a proud Welshman, I will be hoping that they go on and do just that. But there are challenges across the board, and they have a tricky pool to get out of first!”

You’ve been at a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender event in Wales as part of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour. How important is it to get this message of equality out?

NO: “Society has to be inclusive to all. So regardless of what country you’re from, the colour of your skin, your religious beliefs or sexual orientation, there should be a place for you to be treated with respect, the same as everyone else.

“World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and Sport Wales are doing a lot of great work in knocking down those barriers. What’s important about rugby, and has made it stand out from all other sports, is that it has always been accessible. Whether fast or slow, big or small, there is a place for anyone in a rugby team.”