Murray Mexted voted most gaffe-prone rugby pundit

Updated

A player turned broadcaster has been ranked the most gaffe-prone rugby pundit ahead of the Rugby World Cup - having once said: "And he kicks it with his left-handed foot."

Ex-New Zealand player Murray Mexted features twice in the top five most embarrassing on-air rugby gaffes of all time.

BBC veteran Ian Robertson takes top honour for most-cringeworthy blooper, for his line: "It's 50-50 in Wales's favour."

The study, commissioned to mark the launch of the Samsung School of Rugby, tasked a panel of ex-England players and rugby legends featuring Lawrence Dallaglio, Martin Johnson and Jason Robinson, with choosing a long list of rugby bloopers.

These were then put to the public vote, with 2,000 British rugby fans asked to select the most embarrassing gaffes from the long list.

The list includes blunders from players, managers and pundits, featuring some of the biggest names to play and comment on the game.

Slip-ups come from Sonja McLaughlan, one of the BBC's pitch-side reporters, and Jono Gibbes, the former All Black and now French club coach.

But no one features more than New Zealander Mexted.

His other line in the top five is: "Andy Ellis - the 21-year-old who turned 22 a few weeks ago."

Former England captain Johnson said: "Everyone makes mistakes on the pitch and even the best sporting broadcasters drop the ball occasionally, as this survey for the Samsung School of Rugby shows.

"This felt like the perfect opportunity to review some of the greatest howlers as we ready ourselves for the biggest tournament in rugby."

The top five rugby gaffes, according to the study, are:

1. "It's 50-50 in Wales's favour" - Ian Robertson

2. "I won't ask you to name any highlights from your career, but what was the best moment?" - Sonja McLaughlan

3. "Andy Ellis - the 21-year-old who turned 22 a few weeks ago" - Murray Mexted

4. "Nobody in rugby should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein" - Jono Gibbes

5. "And he kicks it with his left-handed foot" - Murray Mexted

Advertisement