Ray Warren
Ray Warren Sports commentator | |
---|---|
Years active | 1967–2022 |
Employer | Nine Network |
Spouse | Cher Warren |
Children | Chris Warren (son) Holly Warren (daughter) Mark Warren (son) |
Raymond Warren
Career
Born in
He began commentating on television through the
Over the next six years, Warren also called horse races. In 1988 he was recruited by the Nine Network to commentate on the 1988 Rugby League World Cup final and the 1989 state of origin series alongside Darrell Eastlake, Michael Cronin, Jack Gibson,and Balmain Tigers coach Warren Ryan, 1989 Trans-Tasman test series alongside Darrell Eastlake again and Jack Gibson and to be part of its team to broadcast swimming at the 1990 Commonwealth Games with Norman May. The television rights for rugby league were bought by Nine for the 1991 State of Origin Series, 1992 season and onwards and he has been calling the game for them ever since. Warren has gradually overcome his fear of flying, though he does still have some fear as evidenced by a well publicised helicopter flight to a game on the Gold Coast in 2012 made necessary due to a delayed flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast. Overcoming his fear has seen him travel to New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and Canada for the network's swimming or rugby league coverage.
Ray Warren is known for his passionate commentary (often getting into good-natured arguments with fellow commentator Phil Gould about a player or the rules of rugby league during games), and has often been parodied by The Twelfth Man. His voice has become synonymous with important rugby league matches in Australia, and he is renowned for his proficient ability to take over from fellow-commentators when anything interesting happens on the field.
Previously, Warren also worked on Triple M Sydney on the Saturday morning sports show Dead Set Legends with Greg Matthews, Mike Whitney and Russell Barwick. The other members of the Dead Set Legends included Michael Slater, Rebecca Wilson, Richard Freedman and Dan Ginnane, as well being a semi-regular host of 'The Rush Hour' with Dan Ginnane.
Warren was the footy-tip guru with
Warren is also a contributor on Melbourne's Sport 927.
On 6 August 2011, a bronze statue of Warren was erected in his hometown of Junee.[10]
In August 2019, Warren was inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame.[11]
The 2021 NRL Grand Final would be Warren's final game as commentator after announcing his retirement on 1 June 2022.[12]
In 2022, Warren provided mock commentary for a fictional State of Origin match between Queensland and New South Wales in an episode of children's animated series Bluey.[13]
Personal life
Ray Warren and his wife, Cher, live in the Sydney suburb of Castle Hill with their daughter, Holly. One of their sons, Chris,[14] works for 2GB Sydney on their NRL coverage and Fox Sports News. Ray was once the chief commentator in an early 1990s Western Suburbs Magpies match that Chris played in.[15] The Warrens' other son, Mark, is a broadcaster, actor, voice actor, MC, presenter and auctioneer.[16]
Warren's own personal sporting achievements include playing wing for the Quirindi Grasshoppers, and also playing Tony Roche in a tennis match.[17]
References
- ^ "The Voice of Rugby League".
- ^ a b Derriman, Philip (24 September 2005). "Warren still going full scream ahead". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
- ^ "Ex-Police Cadets Association of NSW, Inc".
- ^ "Trove".
- ^ "Full Match Replay: Raiders v Roosters - Round 23, 2018". 20 August 2018.
- ^ Webster, Andrew "A few drinks with Ray Warren Archived 20 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine", Inside Sport magazine, April 2004
- ^ AAP (11 June 2011). "Ray Warren diagnosed with prostate cancer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ "NXFM Says goodbye to Steve And Kim". 27 August 2012.
- ^ "NXFM Official Statement (Steve & Kim Breakfast Show)" (PDF).[permanent dead link]
- ^ Riccio, David (6 August 2011). "Legendary commentator Ray Warren honoured with bronze statue in Junee". The Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ^ "Peter Sterling leads tributes to Hall of Fame inductee Ray Warren". WWOS.
- ^ "Rugby league icon Ray Warren announces his retirement from sports commentary". ABC News. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ Sun, Michael (24 June 2022). "'Can it get more Aussie?': Bluey State of Origin episode tells a relatable tale of a family divided". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ "Chris Warren is a presenter on FOX SPORTS NEWS". www.foxsports.com.au. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ Sygall, David (2 May 2010). "Rabs admits: gambling cost me a better life". The Age. Australia: Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ^ "Mark Warren Group".
- ^ @middleton_david (11 June 2016). "Register" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 August 2023 – via Twitter.
External links
- Ray Warren at IMDb