Craig Innes
Encyclopedia
Craig Innes is a New Zealand
former rugby league
and rugby union
footballer of the 1980s and 90s. After a successful rugby union career which saw him represent his country he switched to rugby league, playing in both England and Australia, winning the 1996 ARL Premiership, before playing out the last years of his career in rugby union in New Zealand.
during New Zealand's
1989 tour of Wales and Ireland. He scored two tries on debut. He went on to play in 17 tests for the All Blacks
, including the 1991 Rugby World Cup
. He turned professional in 1992, joining English rugby league club Leeds
.
finals, playing against former All Black teammate Va'aiga Tuigamala
in both matches. Innes' move to Australia to play for new ARL
outfit, the Western Reds in the 1995 season brought threats of legal action from Leeds.
Manly-Warringah secured his services for the following season, and he played alongside fellow former All Black, Matthew Ridge
in the Sea Eagles' grand final victory that year, scoring the first try of the match. The following year Innes was unable to play representative rugby league for New Zealand due to the New Zealand Rugby League
's alignment with Super League
and his club Manly's alignment with the Australian Rugby League
. He did however appear in one match for a 'Rest of the World' team assembled to play against the ARL's Australian side. With the ARL isolated from the other international bodies during the Super League war
, they instigated a game against a Rest of the World side to give its players a chance to represent internationally. The world side included high-profile British Test players Gary Connolly
and Jason Robinson
who had signed contracts promising to eventually join an ARL club. This was the only time the ARL granted Test status to a Rest of the World encounter. Innes thus became a dual-code rugby international in that match.
Innes' club, the Sea Eagles were minor premiers in the 1997 ARL season and reached the grand final, in which he scored a try, but it was not enough to defeat Newcastle.
At the end of the 1997 season, Innes returned to New Zealand to play out the rest of his football career in the Super 12 rugby union competition for the Auckland Blues. Since retirement from playing, he has been involved in professional player management.
, television host and judge on New Zealand's Next Top Model
, Sara Tetro
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
former rugby league
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...
and 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...
footballer of the 1980s and 90s. After a successful rugby union career which saw him represent his country he switched to rugby league, playing in both England and Australia, winning the 1996 ARL Premiership, before playing out the last years of his career in rugby union in New Zealand.
Rugby union
Craig Innes made his international rugby union debut at age 20 on the wing in a Test against WalesWales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
during New Zealand's
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
1989 tour of Wales and Ireland. He scored two tries on debut. He went on to play in 17 tests for the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, including the 1991 Rugby World Cup
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
. He turned professional in 1992, joining English rugby league club Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
.
Rugby league
Innes helped Leeds reach the 1994 and 1995 Challenge CupChallenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
finals, playing against former All Black teammate Va'aiga Tuigamala
Va'aiga Tuigamala
Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala MNZM is a Samoan rugby footballer. As well as playing for the All Blacks, he represented Samoa in both rugby union and rugby league, playing at centre and wing...
in both matches. Innes' move to Australia to play for new ARL
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
outfit, the Western Reds in the 1995 season brought threats of legal action from Leeds.
Manly-Warringah secured his services for the following season, and he played alongside fellow former All Black, Matthew Ridge
Matthew Ridge
Matthew John Ridge is a New Zealand television presenter as well as a former All Black, and rugby league captain for the Manly Sea Eagles, New Zealand Warriors and Kiwis....
in the Sea Eagles' grand final victory that year, scoring the first try of the match. The following year Innes was unable to play representative rugby league for New Zealand due to the New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
's alignment with Super League
Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
and his club Manly's alignment with the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
. He did however appear in one match for a 'Rest of the World' team assembled to play against the ARL's Australian side. With the ARL isolated from the other international bodies during the Super League war
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
, they instigated a game against a Rest of the World side to give its players a chance to represent internationally. The world side included high-profile British Test players Gary Connolly
Gary Connolly
Gary J. Connolly was a rugby league full back who later played at centre for St Helens, Canterbury Bulldogs, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos and for the Great Britain national side. In the twilight of his career, he played rugby union for Irish side Munster.Connolly was a dependable centre capable of...
and Jason Robinson
Jason Robinson
Jason Thorpe Robinson OBE is an English former international rugby union and rugby league player of the 1990s and 2000s. Playing at wing or fullback, he won fifty-one rugby union international test caps in total for England, and in rugby league he won twelve caps for Great Britain and seven for...
who had signed contracts promising to eventually join an ARL club. This was the only time the ARL granted Test status to a Rest of the World encounter. Innes thus became a dual-code rugby international in that match.
Innes' club, the Sea Eagles were minor premiers in the 1997 ARL season and reached the grand final, in which he scored a try, but it was not enough to defeat Newcastle.
At the end of the 1997 season, Innes returned to New Zealand to play out the rest of his football career in the Super 12 rugby union competition for the Auckland Blues. Since retirement from playing, he has been involved in professional player management.
Personal life
Craig has two children and is married to former modelModel (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, television host and judge on New Zealand's Next Top Model
New Zealand's Next Top Model
New Zealand's Next Top Model is a New Zealand reality television series in which a number of young women compete for the title of New Zealand's Next Top Model and the chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
, Sara Tetro
Sara Tetro
Sara Tetro is a former New Zealand model, television host, actress, and entrepreneur. She first became famous in New Zealand through owning her own model casting agency, 62 Models Management, which has since become a worldwide successful agency...
.