Greg Austin (rugby)

Greg Austin (born 14 June 1963) is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A prolific try scorer, Austin spent the majority of his playing career in England.

Greg Austin
Personal information
Full nameGregory Austin
Born (1963-06-14) 14 June 1963
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Rugby league
PositionCentre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1985–86 Rochdale Hornets 20+2 11 0 0 44
1986–88 Salford 47+1 25 24 1 149
1987–89 Manly Sea Eagles 15 9 0 0 36
1989–90 Hull Kingston Rovers 38 45 0 0 180
1990–93 Halifax 88+1 100 0 0 400
1993–94 Keighley Cougars 15 19 0 0 76
1994 Salford 3 0 0 0 0
1994–96 Huddersfield Giants 66 74 25 1 347
Total 296 283 49 2 1232
Rugby union
PositionFull-back, Centre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1996–97 Leicester Tigers 6 2 0 0 10
1997–99 Rotherham Titans 40 22 0 0 110
L'Aquila
Buccaneers RFC
Total 46 24 0 0 120

Career

Born in Sydney, Austin was one of several overseas' players who joined Rochdale Hornets in the mid 1980s. He then moved to Salford, scoring 25 tries in 48 games for the club between 1986 and 1988.[6] Whilst at Salford, he returned to Australia during the summer months to play for Manly-Warringah. In 1989, Austin signed for Hull Kingston Rovers.

Austin scored seven tries in four games at the start of the 1990–91 season,[7] but in September 1990, following the signing of James Goulding, Austin was released by Hull KR so that the club could include Goulding in their overseas quota.[8] He was signed by Halifax later that month. He went on to score a further 40 tries in 30 appearances with Halifax during that season, giving him a total of 47 tries during the season, the second highest total behind Martin Offiah. He repeated the feat in the following season, finishing as the second-highest try scorer with a total of 33.

In April 1993, Austin scored his 100th try for Halifax against Widnes in his last appearance for the club.[4] He left the club at the end of the season, dropping down a division to join Keighley. He re-joined Salford in 1994 until the end of the season,[6] before being signed by Huddersfield later that year.

In November 1994, Austin played in Huddersfield's club and league record 142–4 win in a first-round Regal Trophy against Blackpool Gladiators, with Austin scoring nine tries – one short of Lionel Cooper's club record of ten tries scored in a match.[4] He had scored 52 tries by the end of the 1994–95 season, a world record for number of tries scored by a centre in a single season.[9] In 1996, Austin switched codes and joined rugby union side Leicester Tigers.

Personal life

Austin is the father of the association footballer; Mitch Austin.[10][11]

References
  1. "Greg Austin". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  2. "Greg Austin All time stats". Statbunker. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  3. Platt, Darrell (1991). A History of Salford Rugby League Club. Salford Rugby League Club.
  4. Gronow, David (2008). 100 Greats: Huddersfield Rugby League Football Club. Stroud: Stadia. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-7524-4584-7.
  5. Rothmans RL Yearbook 1990-91 by Raymond Fletcher and David Howes page 66 ISBN 035617851X
  6. "Austin back in top flight". New Straits Times. 4 March 1994. p. 44.
  7. Fltzpatrick, Paul (15 September 1990). "Hull KR defend release of Austin". The Guardian. p. 18. ProQuest 187150339.
  8. "What a call that turned out to be!". Halifax Courier. Johnston Press. 24 December 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  9. Roberts, Chris (8 January 2014). "Huddersfield Giants Supporters Association: Austin is heading for town". Huddersfield Examiner. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  10. Prichard, Greg. "Austin's inherited powers a big plus for the Mariners". The World Game. Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  11. Smithies, Tom. "A-League: Central Coast Mariners signing Mitch Austin excited by opportunity". The Daily Telegraph. News Corporation. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
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