Nathan Sharpe
Encyclopedia
Nathan Sharpe is an Australian rugby union
player. He plays lock and is the captain of the Western Force
.
city of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
and his first sporting love was Australian rules football
. He started playing rugby union upon moving to the Gold Coast, Queensland
. At schoolboy level, he representated The Southport School
first XV and first VIII Rowing Team in 1994 and 1995 as well as being the schools School Captain. During 1996, Sharpe played for the under-19 Australian rugby union team. The following year he went on to play for the under-21s national side.
, New South Wales Waratahs
and the ACT Brumbies). That same year, Sharpe made his debut for the Wallabies
against France
.
In 2003, he was voted Super 12 Player of the Year by The Australian
newspaper. He went on to play in all seven games of the 2003 Rugby World Cup
, which included the loss against England
in the final.
He captained the Australian team in the Bledisloe Cup
match against the All Blacks
in Wellington
in July 2004 in the absence of George Gregan
.
In 2005, he was named on the bench of the Wallaby Team of the Decade
. That year, he also made a high profile move to the Western Force
, the new Super 14 franchise that would be competing in the new 2006 Super 14 season
. He finished his career at the Queensland Reds with 71 games. Sharpe became the inaugural captain of the Force.
On 21st October 2011, Sharpe received his 100th test cap while playing in the bronze final against Wales in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
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...
player. He plays lock and is the captain 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...
.
Early career
Sharpe was raised in the RiverinaRiverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
city of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
and his first sporting love was Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
. He started playing rugby union upon moving to the Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
. At schoolboy level, he representated The Southport School
The Southport School
The Southport School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Southport, a suburb on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia....
first XV and first VIII Rowing Team in 1994 and 1995 as well as being the schools School Captain. During 1996, Sharpe played for the under-19 Australian rugby union team. The following year he went on to play for the under-21s national side.
Super 14 and the Wallabies
In 2002 he was voted as the Australian Rugby Medal for Excellence which, the award which is voted for by players from all the Australian Super 12 teams (then, Queensland RedsQueensland 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...
, 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...
and the ACT Brumbies). That same year, Sharpe made his debut for 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...
against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
.
In 2003, he was voted Super 12 Player of the Year by The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
newspaper. He went on to play in all seven games of the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, which included the loss against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in the final.
He captained the Australian team in the Bledisloe Cup
Bledisloe Cup
Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team. It is named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and...
match against 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....
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
in July 2004 in the absence of George Gregan
George Gregan
George Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....
.
In 2005, he was named on the bench of the Wallaby Team of the Decade
Wallaby Team of the Decade
To celebrate 10 years of professional rugby union, Australian Rugby celebrated the occasion with the announcement in 2005 of the Wallaby Team of the Decade...
. That year, he also made a high profile move to 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...
, the new Super 14 franchise that would be competing in the new 2006 Super 14 season
2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the...
. He finished his career at the Queensland Reds with 71 games. Sharpe became the inaugural captain of the Force.
On 21st October 2011, Sharpe received his 100th test cap while playing in the bronze final against Wales in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
External links
- Western Force profile
- Wallabies profile
- Nathan Sharpe on RugbyWA.com
- Nathan Sharpe on RUPA.com.au