Brendan Cannon
Encyclopedia
Brendan Cannon is a former Australian rugby union
footballer who played for the national team, The Wallabies
and three Australian teams in the Super 12 and Super 14
competitions.
Cannon played for both the Queensland Reds
and the New South Wales Waratahs
in the old Super 12 competition, prior to the entry of the Western Force
, whom he played with for their first season. He has been capped 42 times for Australia, making his debut in 2001 against the touring British and Irish Lions
team. He previously represented Australia at U21 and U19 level. He also played 106 Super Rugby games and was the 12th player in the competitions history to achieve that milestone. His retirement in April 2007 was due to a serious neck injury that he incurred in a game against Christchurch a few weeks earlier.
In a match against South Africa, he faced was attacked (commonly called eye gouging) by Bakkies Botha, who was subsequently banned for 8 weeks, and also completed the game with bite marks on his chest and complained of being spat upon as well.
In 2007 he joined with representatives from each of the major football codes in Australia to launch the White ribbon
day, a campaign to stop violence against women.
SInce retiring from playing, he has worked as a much commentator for Fox Sports in Australia. Prior to Australia's first tri-nations test in 2010, against South Africa, he called South African coach Pete DeVillers a clown for suggesting that the referee Allain Rolland had somehow been influenced by the IRB the previous week to allow New Zealand to beat the Springboks in order to ensure good crowds at the world cup in 2011. SANZAR considered bringing a charge against De Villiers for his comments but Cannon was forced by his employers, Fox Sports, to issue an on air apology to the South African team
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer who played for the national team, The Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
and three Australian teams in the Super 12 and Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
competitions.
Cannon played for both the Queensland Reds
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
and the New South Wales Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
in the old Super 12 competition, prior to the entry of the Western Force
Western Force
Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
, whom he played with for their first season. He has been capped 42 times for Australia, making his debut in 2001 against the touring British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
team. He previously represented Australia at U21 and U19 level. He also played 106 Super Rugby games and was the 12th player in the competitions history to achieve that milestone. His retirement in April 2007 was due to a serious neck injury that he incurred in a game against Christchurch a few weeks earlier.
In a match against South Africa, he faced was attacked (commonly called eye gouging) by Bakkies Botha, who was subsequently banned for 8 weeks, and also completed the game with bite marks on his chest and complained of being spat upon as well.
In 2007 he joined with representatives from each of the major football codes in Australia to launch the White ribbon
White ribbon
The white ribbon, a white-colored ribbon or representation of a white-colored ribbon, has several different meanings depending on the context. As with other color ribbons, is sometimes used by political movements to signify or spread their beliefs...
day, a campaign to stop violence against women.
SInce retiring from playing, he has worked as a much commentator for Fox Sports in Australia. Prior to Australia's first tri-nations test in 2010, against South Africa, he called South African coach Pete DeVillers a clown for suggesting that the referee Allain Rolland had somehow been influenced by the IRB the previous week to allow New Zealand to beat the Springboks in order to ensure good crowds at the world cup in 2011. SANZAR considered bringing a charge against De Villiers for his comments but Cannon was forced by his employers, Fox Sports, to issue an on air apology to the South African team