Greg Oliphant
Encyclopedia
Greg Oliphant is an Australia
n former rugby league
footballer, a state and national representative half back who made one Kangaroo tour
.
for the two seasons of 1978-1979 with the Balmain Tigers
. Prior to and after those years he played in the Brisbane Rugby League with Wests
, Valleys
and Redcliffe
.
He made his international debut off the reserve bench in the first Test of the 1978 domestic series against New Zealand
and then started in the 2nd Test. He was selected for the 1978 Kangaroo tour
but played only four tour matches with his rival Tommy Raudonikis
the selectors' preferred Test halfback. Oliphant and Raudonikis enjoyed a great club and state rivalry and regularly competed for national selection. Oliphant played in the inaugural State of Origin
match for the Queensland Maroons. He later coached in the BRL premiership with Norths
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n 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...
footballer, a state and national representative half back who made one Kangaroo tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
.
Biography
Oliphant played in the New South Wales Rugby LeagueNew South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
for the two seasons of 1978-1979 with the Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
. Prior to and after those years he played in the Brisbane Rugby League with Wests
Wests Panthers
The Western Suburbs Panthers, often simply referred to as Wests, are a rugby league club from Brisbane, Australia. The Club is the oldest in the QRL and despite absences from the top grade in recent years and several name changes the club continued to operate...
, Valleys
Fortitude Valley Diehards
The Fortitude Valley Diehards were an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Brisbane suburb of Fortitude Valley.-History:...
and Redcliffe
Redcliffe Dolphins
The Redcliffe Dolphins are a rugby league team from the city of Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The Redcliffe Dolphins were founded in 1947, accepted into the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1960, and since 1996 have played in the Queensland Cup....
.
He made his international debut off the reserve bench in the first Test of the 1978 domestic series against New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
and then started in the 2nd Test. He was selected for the 1978 Kangaroo tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
but played only four tour matches with his rival Tommy Raudonikis
Tommy Raudonikis
Tommy Raudonikis OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He played over twenty-nine Tests and World Cup games as Australia representative halfback and captained his country in two Tests of the 1973 Kangarooo tour.-Early life and club playing career:Raudonikis is the son of a...
the selectors' preferred Test halfback. Oliphant and Raudonikis enjoyed a great club and state rivalry and regularly competed for national selection. Oliphant played in the inaugural State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
match for the Queensland Maroons. He later coached in the BRL premiership with Norths
Norths Devils
The Northern Suburbs Devils, Norths for short, are a rugby league club representing the northern suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. The team colours are sky blue, navy blue and gold. They play in the Queensland Wizard Cup, and, through their predecessors, are one of the oldest clubs in...
.
External links
Sources
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, Sydney