Russell Fairfax
Encyclopedia
Russell Lance Fairfax was an Australian professional rugby league
footballer and coach of the 1970s and 80s.
Fairfax attended Matraville High School
and played for the La Perouse and Alexandria Rovers rugby league clubs in his junior years, before joining the Randwick
club to play rugby union
. In the early 70's Fairfax played in eight rugby union tests for Australia.
In 1974, the fullback joined Eastern Suburbs
rugby league club and was an instant sensation in the new code. His unorthodox play and long blonde flowing locks made him a crowd favourite. Fairfax played in 115 matches for Easts
and won premierships with that club in 1974 and 1975. Fairfax represented both Sydney and NSW during his career but a broken leg suffered during the height of his career in the 1975 season probably prevented him from playing for Australia also in that rugby code. During the 1976 NSWRFL season, Fairfax played at fullback in the unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge
match against British champions St Helens RFC
in Sydney.
Fairfax played the final season of his career - 1981, with the South Sydney
club and went on to coach the Snowy River Bears in Group 16
.
During the 1970s, prior to becoming a fulltime professional player, Fairfax taught physical education
at Randwick North High School
and Cleveland Street High School
.
After an unsuccessful stint in coaching at the Eastern Suburbs Roosters in 1989 and 1990, Fairfax has a career in sports journalism
with Fox Sports
. He is married with two children.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer and coach of the 1970s and 80s.
Fairfax attended Matraville High School
Matraville Sports High School
Matraville Sports High School, is a school located in Chifley, New South Wales, Australia, on Anzac Parade. It is a coeducational high school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training with students from years 7 to 12...
and played for the La Perouse and Alexandria Rovers rugby league clubs in his junior years, before joining the Randwick
Randwick DRUFC
Randwick District Rugby Union Football Club, also known as the Galloping Greens, is an Australian rugby union club which competes in the Sydney grade competition. The club was formed in 1882 and since then has won 31 first grade premierships and seven Australian club championships...
club to play rugby union
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...
. In the early 70's Fairfax played in eight rugby union tests for Australia.
In 1974, the fullback joined Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
rugby league club and was an instant sensation in the new code. His unorthodox play and long blonde flowing locks made him a crowd favourite. Fairfax played in 115 matches for Easts
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
and won premierships with that club in 1974 and 1975. Fairfax represented both Sydney and NSW during his career but a broken leg suffered during the height of his career in the 1975 season probably prevented him from playing for Australia also in that rugby code. During the 1976 NSWRFL season, Fairfax played at fullback in the unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge
1976 World Club Challenge
The inaugural World Club Challenge was actually an unofficial trial of the concept, with 1975 NSWRFL season premiers, Eastern Suburbs playing against 1975–76 Northern Rugby Football League season Challenge Cup winners St. Helens...
match against British champions St Helens RFC
St Helens RFC
St Helens Rugby League Football Club are a professional rugby league club from St Helens, Merseyside, North West England who play in the Super League. Nicknamed Saints, they were a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union. They have been league champions on 12 occasions and runners up...
in Sydney.
Fairfax played the final season of his career - 1981, with the South Sydney
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
club and went on to coach the Snowy River Bears in Group 16
Group 16 Rugby League
Group 16 is a rugby league competition on the south coast of New South Wales, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. Group 16 covers the area from Moruya down to Eden-Teams:Five teams compete in the 2011 Group 16 First Grade competition:...
.
During the 1970s, prior to becoming a fulltime professional player, Fairfax taught physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
at Randwick North High School
Open High School Sydney
The Open High School in Australia, is part of the New South Wales Department of Education and Training. In 1991 The New South Wales Correspondence School, which catered for preschool to Year 12 students, was decentralised into 19 Distance Education Centres located in schools across the state...
and Cleveland Street High School
Cleveland Street Intensive English High School
Cleveland Street Intensive English High School is a High School located in the inner-Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia. The school was founded in 1856, and was a general high school until 1977, when the school was moved to Alexandria and later renamed Alexandria Park...
.
After an unsuccessful stint in coaching at the Eastern Suburbs Roosters in 1989 and 1990, Fairfax has a career in sports journalism
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
with Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)
Fox Sports is an Australia group of sports channels. They are owned by the Premier Media Group, which is in turn owned by News Corporation, and Consolidated Media Holdings. Its main competitors are ESPN, which has little local content and the free-to-air digital channel One HD...
. He is married with two children.