Rocky Elsom
Encyclopedia
Rocky Elsom is a former captain of the Australia national rugby union team
. Raised in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Elsom is one of Australia's most decorated Rugby players. Elsom has played over 50 times for Australia and has over 80 Super rugby caps with the Waratahs
(NSW) 2003–08 and the Brumbies (ACT) 2010. He also has 22 cap
s for Leinster
(Ireland) played in the 2009–10 season.
Having won Herald Super 14 player of the year in 2007, Wallaby of the year in 2008, European Player of the Year in 2009 and inducted into the European Cup Hall of Fame in 2010, the powerful Australian has gained a reputation for performing on big occasions.
Elsom was a regular for from his début in 2005 against until his departure for Ireland; the Australian Rugby Union
has a rigid policy of allowing only players for the country's Super Rugby sides to represent the country. He was immediately restored to the national team setup once he re-signed with the ARU following the 2008–09 northern season. A product of Brisbane’s Nudgee College, he represented Australia at Under-16 level in 1999 and Australian Schools in 2000 before being picked up by NRL club the Bulldogs, where he spent the following two seasons. Following his return to Rugby Union in 2003, Elsom featured heavily for the Waratahs in the last three years of the Super 12 before making his Wallaby début. In 2007 Elsom was named captain of the Waratahs in the absence of Phil Waugh
.
to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Heineken Cup
, this came despite him only spending one season with Leinster such was his impact during the tournament that year. Elsom was also awarded the Waratah Medal for outstanding contribution to NSW Rugby in 2007. Elsom is one of only a handful of Australian players that have won a European Cup and is the only current top class test player to have been in the starting XV for every one of his 40 test caps. Elsom's career has not been without controversy with a couple of suspensions one of which was later overturned. Also a drawn-out feud with the ARU over the terms of his contract led to an unusual early release on 'compassionate grounds' to join Leinster in 2008. This resulted in Elsom being deemed 'unavailable' 2008 Wallaby Spring tour despite being named Wallaby of the Year 1 month earlier. 10 days after a 'Man of the Match' performance in Leinster's victory in the 2009 Heineken Cup Final against Leicester Tigers
Elsom negotiated a return to Australia and the test arena agreeing to terms with the ARU and ACT Brumbies.
in Brisbane
where he was captain of their rugby union
side; he went on to make the Australian Schoolboys
side. He was a fast, agile forward for a young man of his size. He was nearly 100 kg when he finished in the Australian Schoolboys side. He then spent two seasons with the Canterbury Bulldogs
rugby league club in Sydney and was a front-rower prop in their 2001 premiership-winning Jersey Flegg side.
. He was also the co-captain of the under-21 Australian national side at the 2003 under-21 World Cup.
He continued to progress in the Australian rugby scene, featuring in 12 of the Waratahs' 13 games during the 2005 season. A good Waratahs season which saw the side make it to the final, only to be defeated by the Crusaders, saw Elsom selected as number six for the opening Wallaby test of 2005 against Samoa
. Making his debut against Samoa along with Hugh McMeniman
and hooker Stephen Moore
. Elsom scored the opening try of the match and has since held his place as Australia's first choice number six despite strong competition. In 2005, Elsom re-signed with the 'Tahs', which saw him stay at the New South Wales franchise until the end of the 2008 Super 14 season
.
Elsom is seen as a laid-back person toward Wallaby team-mates. The only time he has raised his voice was when a few of the Wallabies decided to call him 'Francis', because they thought 'Rocky' wasn't a proper name. Elsom has great leadership skills, as well as being a disciplined player. He is a crash ball, tackle-breaking breakaway, with many tries under his belt at club and international level.
In 2007 Elsom was named captain of the Waratahs for their week 12 clash with the Highlanders in Sydney and also brought up his 50th appearance for the Waratahs. Elsom also received the Matt Burke Cup for the Waratahs in 2007 along with the Herald Award for the best performing Super 14 player of 2007 and the NSW Medal for outstanding contribution to NSW
rugby.
In 2007, Elsom was named the most valuable flanker in Australia. In his world cup debut, he scored a hat-trick of tries and performed many "huge hits" against Japan. Setting a record for the fastest hat-trick by a forward in World Cup history (18.33 minutes). In late 2007 Elsom played Number Eight in the Barbarians
VS. match where he scored an unforgettable try early in the second half which helped the Barbarians push past the World Champion South Africa and eventually record a memorable victory.
In 2008 Elsom was awarded the 'Wallaby of the Year' after playing in all but one match of the Wallaby's Tri-nations tests and scoring a crucial try to defeat the All Blacks in Sydney. That year, Elsom signed a one-year deal with Irish provincial side Leinster
to join them in September 2008. He has developed into the dominant members of the Australian forward pack, becoming the first choice blindside flanker after starting in all but one of the Wallabies 20 Test matches over the past two calendar years.
. So popular did Elsom become during his time with Leinster, that the fans developed a ‘Rocky’ chant, taken from the Rocky films, which they rolled out every time the Australian flanker appeared in Leinster colours.
Elsom moved to Leinster Rugby
in 2008, with a view to competing in the Heineken Cup
. He was instrumental in Leinster winning their first title, awarded man of the match in two of the three playoff games, including the final, where he was credited with inspiring the pack to a 19–16 victory over the Leicester Tigers
. He is a massive physical presence in the pack, consistently breaking top level tackles. In May 2009, Elsom was named in the Barbarians squad to play England and Australia along with Leinster colleagues Gordon D'Arcy
and Chris Whitaker
.
in 2008. Elsom joined the CA Brumbies in 2010 on a two year contract but injuries restricted him to 13 appearances.
He again was picked in the 45-man squad to tour Britain and Ireland in November 2009. On 9 October 2009, Elsom became Australia's 76th test captain, replacing Stirling Mortlock
.
As of the end of 2009, his captaincy record for the Wallabies
stands at, two losses (against New Zealand and Scotland), two wins (against England and Wales) and a draw against Ireland in which he scored a try at the 60th minute to put his team back in front.
In late 2009, Elsom set up Elsom Nutrition, a sports nutrition brand.
In the first Bledisloe Cup Match of 2010, Elsom captained his side to a mixed defeat. The Wallabies
managed to put 28 points on the All Blacks
with only 14 men for more than 50 minutes of the game against a full strength All Black side. Elsom himself scored the last try for the Wallabies.
. The incident was in retaliation to Engels joining a fight between NSW Prop Matt Dunning
and Richard Bands
in a Super 12 Match in Pretoria. Englis and Dunning received 1 and 3 weeks suspension for their part in the incident, while Elsom's heftier ban was justified for repeating blows to the head of an opponent.
In late 2008, Elsom retaliated to Connacht
lock Michael McCarthy after he had been head-butted. Elsom retaliated by throwing a punch at McCarthy's head, despite being held back by several Leinster and Connacht players. He was yellow carded and Mike McCarthy
was red carded, because he had already been sin binned previously in the game.
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...
. Raised in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Elsom is one of Australia's most decorated Rugby players. Elsom has played over 50 times for Australia and has over 80 Super rugby caps with the 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...
(NSW) 2003–08 and the Brumbies (ACT) 2010. He also has 22 cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
s for Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
(Ireland) played in the 2009–10 season.
Having won Herald Super 14 player of the year in 2007, Wallaby of the year in 2008, European Player of the Year in 2009 and inducted into the European Cup Hall of Fame in 2010, the powerful Australian has gained a reputation for performing on big occasions.
Elsom was a regular for from his début in 2005 against until his departure for Ireland; the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
has a rigid policy of allowing only players for the country's Super Rugby sides to represent the country. He was immediately restored to the national team setup once he re-signed with the ARU following the 2008–09 northern season. A product of Brisbane’s Nudgee College, he represented Australia at Under-16 level in 1999 and Australian Schools in 2000 before being picked up by NRL club the Bulldogs, where he spent the following two seasons. Following his return to Rugby Union in 2003, Elsom featured heavily for the Waratahs in the last three years of the Super 12 before making his Wallaby début. In 2007 Elsom was named captain of the Waratahs in the absence of Phil Waugh
Phil Waugh
Phillip Waugh is an Australian rugby union player, widely regarded as one of the world's leading flankers.His career as a player began at the Shore School, Captaining the school's team in 1997...
.
Career
Elsom has an international career spanning 40 matches along with 64 Super Rugby Caps and 21 caps for Dublin-based club Leinster. In his career Elsom has won NSW Waratah of the Year 2007, Herald Super 14 Player of the Year, Wallaby of the Year, Leinster Rugby Player of the Year, Magners League Player of the Year and European player of the Year. In 2010 Elsom was named at blindside flanker in a European dream team by the ERCEuropean Rugby Cup
European Rugby Cup is the organising body of two European rugby union club tournaments; the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup. The organisation was established in 1995 and is headquartered in Dublin...
to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
, this came despite him only spending one season with Leinster such was his impact during the tournament that year. Elsom was also awarded the Waratah Medal for outstanding contribution to NSW Rugby in 2007. Elsom is one of only a handful of Australian players that have won a European Cup and is the only current top class test player to have been in the starting XV for every one of his 40 test caps. Elsom's career has not been without controversy with a couple of suspensions one of which was later overturned. Also a drawn-out feud with the ARU over the terms of his contract led to an unusual early release on 'compassionate grounds' to join Leinster in 2008. This resulted in Elsom being deemed 'unavailable' 2008 Wallaby Spring tour despite being named Wallaby of the Year 1 month earlier. 10 days after a 'Man of the Match' performance in Leinster's victory in the 2009 Heineken Cup Final against Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
Elsom negotiated a return to Australia and the test arena agreeing to terms with the ARU and ACT Brumbies.
Early career
Elsom was educated at St. Joseph's Nudgee CollegeSt. Joseph's Nudgee College
St Joseph's Nudgee College is a private, Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, located in Boondall, a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
where he was captain of their 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...
side; he went on to make the Australian Schoolboys
Australian schoolboys
The Australian Schoolboys refer to junior teams that represent Australia in various sports. The name is mainly used in rugby league, rugby union and baseball...
side. He was a fast, agile forward for a young man of his size. He was nearly 100 kg when he finished in the Australian Schoolboys side. He then spent two seasons with the Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
rugby league club in Sydney and was a front-rower prop in their 2001 premiership-winning Jersey Flegg side.
Waratahs & Australia
He returned to rugby union in 2003, making his Super 14 debut against the Auckland Blues for the WaratahsNew 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...
. He was also the co-captain of the under-21 Australian national side at the 2003 under-21 World Cup.
He continued to progress in the Australian rugby scene, featuring in 12 of the Waratahs' 13 games during the 2005 season. A good Waratahs season which saw the side make it to the final, only to be defeated by the Crusaders, saw Elsom selected as number six for the opening Wallaby test of 2005 against Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
. Making his debut against Samoa along with Hugh McMeniman
Hugh McMeniman
Hugh McMeniman is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Kubota in Japan and has played for Australia. His favoured position is blindside flanker but he can also play lock.-Career:...
and hooker Stephen Moore
Stephen Moore (rugby player)
Stephen Moore is an Australian rugby union footballer. Born in Saudi Arabia to Irish parents, Stephen and his family moved back to Tuam, Galway, Ireland in the mid-eighties before they emigrated to Mount Morgan, Queensland, Australia in 1988...
. Elsom scored the opening try of the match and has since held his place as Australia's first choice number six despite strong competition. In 2005, Elsom re-signed with the 'Tahs', which saw him stay at the New South Wales franchise until the end of the 2008 Super 14 season
2008 Super 14 season
The 2008 Super 14 season started in February 2008 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 31 May, when the Crusaders won their seventh Super Rugby title with a 20–12 victory over the Waratahs in front of the Crusaders' home fans. The 2008 season was the third of the expansion,...
.
Elsom is seen as a laid-back person toward Wallaby team-mates. The only time he has raised his voice was when a few of the Wallabies decided to call him 'Francis', because they thought 'Rocky' wasn't a proper name. Elsom has great leadership skills, as well as being a disciplined player. He is a crash ball, tackle-breaking breakaway, with many tries under his belt at club and international level.
In 2007 Elsom was named captain of the Waratahs for their week 12 clash with the Highlanders in Sydney and also brought up his 50th appearance for the Waratahs. Elsom also received the Matt Burke Cup for the Waratahs in 2007 along with the Herald Award for the best performing Super 14 player of 2007 and the NSW Medal for outstanding contribution to NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
rugby.
In 2007, Elsom was named the most valuable flanker in Australia. In his world cup debut, he scored a hat-trick of tries and performed many "huge hits" against Japan. Setting a record for the fastest hat-trick by a forward in World Cup history (18.33 minutes). In late 2007 Elsom played Number Eight in the Barbarians
New Zealand Barbarians
The New Zealand Barbarians, nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", are an invitational rugby union team which have been a major part of New Zealand rugby since they were founded in 1937. They are based on the concept of Barbarian F.C...
VS. match where he scored an unforgettable try early in the second half which helped the Barbarians push past the World Champion South Africa and eventually record a memorable victory.
In 2008 Elsom was awarded the 'Wallaby of the Year' after playing in all but one match of the Wallaby's Tri-nations tests and scoring a crucial try to defeat the All Blacks in Sydney. That year, Elsom signed a one-year deal with Irish provincial side Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
to join them in September 2008. He has developed into the dominant members of the Australian forward pack, becoming the first choice blindside flanker after starting in all but one of the Wallabies 20 Test matches over the past two calendar years.
Leinster
In 2009 Elsom was awarded 'Leinster Rugby Player of the Year' wining an unprecedented 70% of the popular vote. Elsom the only non-Irish winner of the award was also voted 'European Player of the Year 2008/09' after Leinster won the Heineken Cup with 3 man of the match performances from Leinster's six wins. In the Magners League Elsom picked up 11 'Man of the Match' awards from his last 13 outings and was judged the 'Magners League Player of the Year 2008/9' as well as being included in both Celtic and European 'Dream Teams' along with fellow Leinster player Brian O'DriscollBrian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
. So popular did Elsom become during his time with Leinster, that the fans developed a ‘Rocky’ chant, taken from the Rocky films, which they rolled out every time the Australian flanker appeared in Leinster colours.
Elsom moved to Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
in 2008, with a view to competing in the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
. He was instrumental in Leinster winning their first title, awarded man of the match in two of the three playoff games, including the final, where he was credited with inspiring the pack to a 19–16 victory over the Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
. He is a massive physical presence in the pack, consistently breaking top level tackles. In May 2009, Elsom was named in the Barbarians squad to play England and Australia along with Leinster colleagues Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon William D'Arcy is an Irish rugby player, more specifically an inside centre. He is registered to Lansdowne RFC and plays for provincial and RaboDirect Pro12 side Leinster.-Career:...
and Chris Whitaker
Chris Whitaker
Chris Whitaker is a retired Australian rugby union footballer. He is a much acclaimed scrum-half for Leinster in Ireland. He previously played for the New South Wales Waratahs, a state team representing New South Wales in the Super 14....
.
Return to Australia
In June 2009 he signed a two-year contract with the ACT Brumbies, citing his desire to resume his international career with the Wallabies as the deciding factor in his decision. Back after a stint with Irish club Leinster in the European Cup and Celtic League, Elsom starts his fifth season as a member of the Wallabies poised to join a select group of Australian players who have surpassed a half century of Test caps. Prior to his time in Dublin, which saw him miss Australia's Spring Tour, Elsom had established himself as a regular fixture in the Wallabies side, starting in 31 of the 32 Tests which he was available for since the beginning of 2006. Elsom made a major impact at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, scoring three tries in his first World Cup match against Japan, which saw him take out the Man of the Match honours. He was then man of the match again when Australia broke its eight-year drought on South African soil by beating the Springboks 27–15 at DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
in 2008. Elsom joined the CA Brumbies in 2010 on a two year contract but injuries restricted him to 13 appearances.
He again was picked in the 45-man squad to tour Britain and Ireland in November 2009. On 9 October 2009, Elsom became Australia's 76th test captain, replacing Stirling Mortlock
Stirling Mortlock
Stirling Austin Mortlock is an Australian professional rugby union player. He has scored over 1,000 points in Super Rugby, and nearly 500 test points for the Wallabies. Mortlock is a former Wallaby and Brumbies captain, and the current captain of the Melbourne Rebels.-Early life:Mortlock began...
.
As of the end of 2009, his captaincy record 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...
stands at, two losses (against New Zealand and Scotland), two wins (against England and Wales) and a draw against Ireland in which he scored a try at the 60th minute to put his team back in front.
In late 2009, Elsom set up Elsom Nutrition, a sports nutrition brand.
In the first Bledisloe Cup Match of 2010, Elsom captained his side to a mixed defeat. 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...
managed to put 28 points on 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....
with only 14 men for more than 50 minutes of the game against a full strength All Black side. Elsom himself scored the last try for the Wallabies.
Controversy
In March 2006, Elsom was suspended for four weeks for fighting with South African Prop Jaco EngelsJaco Engels
Jaco Engels is a Namibian rugby union player playing for the Eastern Province Kings.He has previously played for the Leopards, Boland Cavaliers and Blue Bulls in South Africa's Currie Cup. He has also played Super Rugby with the Bulls...
. The incident was in retaliation to Engels joining a fight between NSW Prop Matt Dunning
Matt Dunning
Matt Dunning is an Australian rugby union footballer. He was educated at Northholm Grammar School and represented New South Wales and Australian Schools, U19s and U21s. Dunning plays club rugby for Eastwood and has represented the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super 14 since 2001...
and Richard Bands
Richard Bands
Richard Edward "Richie" Bands is a former South African rugby union test player. He was part of the Springboks squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup and is fondly remembered in the South African rugby community for his for South Africa against the All Blacks in the 2003 Tri Nations Series.Although...
in a Super 12 Match in Pretoria. Englis and Dunning received 1 and 3 weeks suspension for their part in the incident, while Elsom's heftier ban was justified for repeating blows to the head of an opponent.
In late 2008, Elsom retaliated to Connacht
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...
lock Michael McCarthy after he had been head-butted. Elsom retaliated by throwing a punch at McCarthy's head, despite being held back by several Leinster and Connacht players. He was yellow carded and Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy (rugby union)
Michael "Mike" McCarthy is a professional rugby union player. He plays provincial rugby for Connacht. He can play as a second row or flanker.-Career:...
was red carded, because he had already been sin binned previously in the game.
Leinster
- Heineken CupHeineken CupThe Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
: 2008/09
External links
- Rocky Elsom Wallabies profile
- Rocky Elsom Leinster profile