Steve Merrick

Steve Merrick
Full nameSteven Paul Merrick
Date of birth (1968-11-22) 22 November 1968 (age 56)
Place of birthSingleton, NSW, Australia
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1995 Australia 2 (0)

Steven Paul Merrick (born 22 November 1968) is an Australian former rugby union international.

Merrick played only rugby league while growing up in Singleton and didn't switch codes until he was 18. He played rugby union for Singleton in the Hunter Valley competition and was a New South Wales country representative.[1]

In 1995, Merrick was Australia's scrum-half in two Bledisloe Cup Tests against New Zealand, taking the place of George Gregan. He had debuted for the New South Wales Waratahs earlier that year and his promotion to the Wallabies side was one of many made after team's poor showing at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.[2]

Merrick turned down a lucrative contract from the ARFU to return to Singleton, where he worked as a coal truck driver. The contract would have required he be based in Sydney and play for the Waratahs rather than Singleton.[3][4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Steven Paul Merrick". classicwallabies.com.au.
  2. ^ "Wallaby surprise factor a worry as Kiwi coach seeks solutions". The Canberra Times. 21 July 1995. p. 28. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ Skene, Patrick (13 August 2015). "The forgotten story of ... Steve Merrick, rugby union's last amateur". The Guardian.
  4. ^ "Merrick quits, much to Gregan's surprise". The Canberra Times. 11 August 1995. p. 28. Retrieved 24 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.