Rugby referee Nigel Owens says he and his partner are now looking at 'maybe starting a family' now that he's retiring from his international career.
He said they're discussing whether to go down the surrogacy or adoption route.
After 100 tests, the 49-year-old Welsh referee is calling time on his international career - although still hopes to see out the Pro14 season.
He says he believes 100 is a "nice" way to finish up, rather than pushing for a less tidy 101 or 102.
With a heavy heart, the time has come to hang up the whistle and boots at international level. I owe more to rugby than rugby will ever owe to me. Thank you for all the support over the many years. 🏉🏴☺️Diolch o galon a hwyl fawr. https://t.co/230HqhLswL
— Nigel Owens MBE (@Nigelrefowens) December 11, 2020
Speaking on The Hard Shoulder, Nigel said he's pretty confident he would have been able to keep going until World Cup 2023 if he put his mind to it.
However, he said: "Then, there comes that old age thing... and for whatever reason the powers that be believe when you get older your time is up.
"It's a huge commitment, refereeing at that level away from home... I want to spend time with my family, which I haven't been able to do over the years."
He noted he "wouldn't really fancy" eight weeks away from home again when 2023 does roll around.
'I always wanted to be a farmer...'
Nigel explained that there are other things that have had to be on the back-burner over the 20 years of his refereeing career, and it's now a good time to 'refocus'.
He said: "Even when I was a kid... I always wanted to be a farmer. So I've been able to do that - I've got 41 pedigree Herefords [cattle] here, which take a lot of looking after.
"I have a commitment to my partner as well... maybe start a family.
"It's something myself and my partner are discussing... we'll see how things pan out, whether we go down the surrogacy route or adoption route.
"Family and health I think are the most important things."
He said he will still be involved in refereeing and coaching at some capacity, so he'll still see his friends and colleagues - even if it's not as often as is currently the case.
What he'll miss most of all, however, is the buzz of a major game.
He explained: "It's those occasions... those 45 or 50 minutes before you actually blow the whistle... the build up to the game... walking out the tunnel behind the two teams... the electric atmosphere in the Aviva or Stade de France or here in the Principality Stadium... standing there for the anthem. It's something very, very special."
Rugby has come under the spotlight recently, in particular around the issue of concussion and it's long-term impact on players.
However, Nigel said he's very confident for the future of the game - saying rugby authorities doing everything they can to make the sport as safe as possible for future generations.
