Referee Owens’ visibility second only to Leitch at World Cup

TOKYO (AP) — Rugby referees are best seen and not heard, it is said. Nigel Owens didn’t get that memo.
At the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the Welsh referee seems to be second in visibility only to Michael Leitch, the captain of Japan whose face is everywhere thanks to his team’s run through the pool stage and his posse of sponsors.
Owens’ face pops up in the stadiums, on TV, and online courtesy of witty advertisements for the referees’ airline sponsor. He highlights b