Birth name | Andrew Gerard Slack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 24 September 1955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Brisbane, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Villanova College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | Professional Rugby Union player & Sports Journalist | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Andrew Gerard Slack (born 24 September 1955 in Brisbane) is an Australian former state and national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies in 19 Test matches in between 1984 and 1987. His 133 appearances for Queensland between 1975 and 1987 stood as the state record until bettered by Mark Connors in 2006.
He made 87 total appearances for Australia between 1978 and 1987, earning 39 Test caps. He scored 10 tries and captained Australia on 34 occasions in total. He was the tour captain for the Wallabies' 1984 tour Grand Slam feat.
Andrew Slack attended school at Villanova College, Coorparoo, Queensland.[ citation needed ] He played his club rugby with Brisbane Souths and made his Queensland state debut against a Combined Services side, as a five-eighth at age 19 in 1975 before switching to centre for the rest of his career.
Slack debuted for Australia in 1978 in the home series against Wales which the Wallabies won 2-nil under Tony Shaw.
Slack is remembered as a key factor in the Wallabies' ascendancy to world class status, eventually guiding them to a Bledisloe Cup, a Grand Slam and a World Cup semi-final. Though a fine player in his own right, Slack's main strengths were his tactical acumen and the ability to get the most out of his teammates. These qualities made him a superb captain when he was eventually given the honour in 1984 and he would eventually lead Australia to 14 victories in 19 matches. His international debut came in Australia's 2–0 victory over Wales in 1978, a series even more violent and acrimonious than England's visit three years earlier. Australia were somewhat fortunate to win the second test when a Paul McLean drop goal was awarded despite sailing wide of the posts, but Slack enjoyed the winning feeling all the same. "There was controversy aplenty but after my first series it was two to us and nil to the others!"[ citation needed ] Wales were in the midst of a period when they were dominating European rugby and this test series win was notable in establishing the Wallabies credentials as a test side.
A year later he featured in one of Australia's finest hours – a 12–6 victory over New Zealand in Sydney, but then missed the following two international seasons. He returned for the 81/82 tour to the UK where Australia's gifted side lost three out of their four test matches, but Slack was able to register his first two tries against Wales and Scotland respectively. The same year Australia had an unsuccessful defence of the Bledisloe Cup but performed creditably in the 2–1 series loss.
In 1984 Slack was given the captaincy of Australia when coach Alan Jones' original choice of Mark Ella was vetoed by the selectors. The decision turned out to be a good one and Slack led the Wallabies to a momentous Grand Slam against the Home Nations on the autumn tour of the UK. The Wallabies were well received everywhere apart from Wales where Slack was spat upon by Llanelli fans when Australia played at Stradey Park. Australia responded in the most effective way possible by pulverising Wales 28–9 in the subsequent test match which included an unprecedented pushover try by Steve Tuynman. 'The Slam' was sealed with victory over Scotland at Murrayfield during which Slack confounded critics who said that he couldn't pass the ball by hurling a superb long ball for David Campese to score his first try. After the game Slack conceded that the emotion overcame him: "I got up to make a speech at happy hour and I've always been one to wear my heart on my sleeve. Yeah, the odd tear flowed."[ citation needed ]
He temporarily retired from the international game in 1985 but returned the year after to lead Australia to an even greater achievement than the Grand Slam – a series win on New Zealand soil, which put any doubt to rest over the Wallabies claims to being a world power. That year Australia also defeated France in Sydney, a forward performance which Slack rated as better than the victories over New Zealand in 1979 and Wales in 1984. Slack's career ended on a low note when Australia were beaten in the World Cup semi-final against France, and his last game came in the 3/4 play-off defeat by Wales.
He is one of six captains to lead his side to a test series win on New Zealand soil, along with Philip J. Nel (1937 Springboks), Trevor Allan (1949 Australia), John Dawes (1971 British Lions), Philippe Saint-André (1994 France) and Johnny Sexton (2022 Ireland).
Slack spent three years as a national selector for the Wallabies before he quit that role became the first backline player in 30 years to coach the Queensland Reds when he was appointed to the position in 2003. He only stayed in the position a season before quitting as coach after the unsuccessful season in which the team finished 8th in the Super 12.
In his playing days, rugby was an amateur game and his professional career started out as school teacher. Following the end of his Rugby career - he became a Sports Journalist and was Head of Sports at Nine News in Brisbane. He retired in 2016.
In 2010 he was honoured in the sixth set of inductees into the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame. [2]
The Australia men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.
George Musarurwa Gregan AM is a retired Australian rugby union player, and is currently Australia's second most capped international player.
Matthew Coleman Burke is an Australian former international rugby union player and sport presenter on Sydney's 10 News First.
David Ian Campese, AM, also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player (1982–1996), who was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and played 85 Tests at wing and 16 at fullback.
Michael Patrick Thomas Lynagh, is an Australian former rugby union player who played 66 Tests at fly-half and six Tests at inside centre between 1984-1995. Lynagh was capped 72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995.
Mark Gordon Ella, AM is an indigenous Australian former rugby union footballer. Ella played at flyhalf/five-eighth and was capped by the Wallabies 25 times, captaining Australia on 10 occasions.
Simon Paul Poidevin is a former Australian rugby union player who played as a flanker. Poidevin made his Test debut for Australia against Fiji during the 1980 tour of Fiji. He was a member of the Wallabies side that defeated New Zealand 2–1 in the 1980 Bledisloe Cup series. He toured with the Eighth Wallabies for the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland that won rugby union's "grand slam", the first Australian side to defeat all four home nations, England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, on a tour. He debuted as captain of the Wallabies in a two-Test series against Argentina in 1986, substituting for the absent Andrew Slack. He was a member of the Wallabies on the 1986 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand that beat the All Blacks, one of six international teams and second Australian team to win a Test series in New Zealand. During the 1987 Rugby World Cup, he overtook Peter Johnson as Australia's most capped Test player against Japan, captaining the Wallabies for the third time in his 43rd cap. He captained the Wallabies on a fourth and final occasion on the 1987 Australia rugby union tour of Argentina before injury ended his tour prematurely. In 1988, he briefly retired from international rugby, reversing his decision 42 days later ahead of the 1988 Bledisloe Cup series. Following this series, Poidevin returned to the Australian side for the single 1989 Bledisloe Cup Test. He returned full-time to the Australian national squad for the 1991 season. Poidevin was a member of the Wallabies that won the 1991 Rugby World Cup, after which he retired from international rugby union.
Nicholas Campbell Farr-Jones AM is a former Australian rugby union player, who played as a scrum-half. He debuted for the Australia national team during the 1984 tour of Britain and Ireland. Farr-Jones was named "Player of the Series" for the 1986 tour of New Zealand, where Australia became the sixth team to win a test series there. He was appointed captain of the Wallabies in 1988 and is best known for leading the team to victory in the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Farr-Jones retired from international rugby in 1992 but briefly returned in 1993 for the Bledisloe Cup and a series against South Africa. He has since appeared as a rugby commentator on Sky Sports and serves as chairman of the New South Wales Rugby Union.
John Brass is an Australian former rugby union and rugby league footballer – a dual-code international. He made twelve international representative rugby union appearances with the Wallabies from 1966 to 1968 and six representative rugby league appearances for the Kangaroos in 1970 and 1975, as national captain on one occasion.
Michael David O'Connor is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union footballer who represented Australia in both codes. He played for the Wallabies in 13 Tests from 1979 to 1982 and then the Kangaroos in 17 Tests from 1985 to 1990. O'Connor played club football in the NSWRL Premiership for the St. George Dragons from 1983 until 1986, and later the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles from 1987 until his retirement at the end of 1992, becoming captain of Manly in 1990, as well as winning the 1987 Winfield Cup with the Sea Eagles.
Quade Santini Cooper is a professional rugby union player and occasional boxer. Although born in New Zealand, he has represented Australia in rugby at international level. He currently plays for Hanazono Liners in Japan, and is a former player for the Queensland Reds and the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby competition in Australia. His preferred position is fly-half.
Ewen James Andrew McKenzie is an Australian professional rugby union coach and a former international rugby player. He played for Australia's World Cup winning team in 1991 and earned 51 caps for the Wallabies during his test career. McKenzie was head coach of the Australian team from 2013 to 2014. He has coached in both southern and northern hemispheres, in Super Rugby for the Waratahs and Reds, and in France at Top 14 side Stade Français. During his playing days he was a prop and, in a representative career spanning from 1987 to 1997, he played nine seasons for the NSW Waratahs and two for the ACT Brumbies.
James Horwill is an Australian former rugby union player, who has played for the Australian national side, with 61 caps to his name. He captained the Wallabies a number of times, including during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Horwill played ten seasons in Super Rugby for the Queensland Reds, followed by four seasons with English club Harlequins. His position was second row.
The 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland was a series of eighteen matches played by the Australia national rugby union team in Britain and Ireland between 17 October and 15 December 1984. The Australian team won thirteen matches, drew one and lost four but notably won all four of their international matches.
Steve Williams is an Australian former state and national representative rugby union player who captained the Wallabies in five Test matches in 1985.
The first clash in Rugby Union between Australia and New Zealand took place in a test match on 15 August 1903 in Sydney, New South Wales. On that occasion, New Zealand won 22–3.
Anthony Alexander Shaw is an Australian former rugby union player. A Queensland state and national representative flanker, Shaw captained the national side consistently from 1978 to 1982.
William Alexander Campbell is a retired international rugby union player who played 26 test matches and vice-captained for 15 for the Australia national rugby union team in the position of lock from 1984 until 1990. He played 58 matches and captained 26 times for the Queensland Reds. Peter Jenkins named Campbell as one of the top 100 Wallabies in his book of the same name. Campbell ended his rugby career at 29 to further his medical studies and focus on his growing family.
The 2013 Australia national rugby union team tour of Great Britain, Ireland and Italy was a rugby union tour between the away team Australia and the homes teams of England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. They also played an additional Test match against New Zealand, which acted as the third and final Bledisloe Cup match for 2013.
Richard James Pickett Marks is an Australian former rugby union footballer, noted rugby administrator and author. He played 17 Tests for Australia between 1962 and 1967, and was a captain of Queensland, for whom he played from 1962 to 1972. He served as national coaching director from 1974 to 1995, and was a leading figure in lifting the standard of Australian rugby. He also served on the Board of Queensland Rugby and was an inaugural member of rugby's International Technical Committee and drafter of the Game’s Charter. He received the Joe French Award for his contributions to Australian rugby in 2014, and remains active in debates on governance of Australian rugby. In 2020, he was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame. In 2024, he was honoured with a Member of the Order of Australia award for significant service to rugby as a player, coach, and administrator. He is the grandfather of Queensland Reds player Curtis Browning.