Tulsen Tollett
Encyclopedia
Tulsen Tollett is an ex-professional rugby league
player who played for Penrith Panthers
and Parramatta Eels
in Australia's elite ARL
competition, and also for London Broncos (now known as Harlequins Rugby League) in the European Super League
.
He was born in Hastings
, Sussex
in the United Kingdom, but he moved with his family to Australia at the age of six.
He played at the Panthers and the Eels before joining the Broncos for the inaugural season of Super League in 1996. He played his junior football for Emu Plains JRLFC
.
After a successful first season in England, he was selected for the Great Britain squad to tour Papua New Guinea
, Fiji
and New Zealand
.
Tollett's finest moments with the Broncos include:
Tollett also had spells in rugby union
with English Premiership side Harlequins
during 1997/1998, as well as London Welsh in 1999/2000 during the Rugby League close season.
Tollett was forced to give up playing in 2001 due to a persistent shoulder injury. He now works in the media for ABC News 24
and ABC NewsRadio
in Sydney and has also worked for BBC Radio 5 Live
, Sky Sports
, Eurosport
and Setanta Sports
amongst others as a presenter, reporter or commentator, and worked as a pitchside reporter for TVH, the host broadcaster, at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France.
Tollett also holds a Bachelor of Physical Education Teaching degree, as well as a 1st Dan Karate Black Belt.
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...
player who played for Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
and Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
in Australia's elite 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...
competition, and also for London Broncos (now known as Harlequins Rugby League) in the European Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
.
He was born in Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
in the United Kingdom, but he moved with his family to Australia at the age of six.
He played at the Panthers and the Eels before joining the Broncos for the inaugural season of Super League in 1996. He played his junior football for Emu Plains JRLFC
Emu Plains JRLFC
The Emu Plains JRLFC, colloquially known as just Emu, is a Rugby League club in the Penrith, New South Wales District. The club fields both Junior and Senior teams with players starting as early as 4 years old. The club colours are red, white and blue....
.
After a successful first season in England, he was selected for the Great Britain squad to tour Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and New Zealand
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...
.
Tollett's finest moments with the Broncos include:
- Playing in the side that beat top Australian side Canberra RaidersCanberra RaidersThe Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
in Super League's World Club Championship series in 1997 (London chalked up a rare win by a European Super League side against their Australasian Super LeagueSuper 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...
counterparts in that year's competition)
- Being part of the first London side to reach a Rugby League Challenge CupChallenge CupThe 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....
final, in 1999 against Leeds RhinosLeeds RhinosLeeds 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...
at Wembley StadiumWembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
- Being in the highest finishing London side (2nd, Super League 1997) in the club's (Fulham, London Crusaders, Broncos) history to date
Tollett also had spells in 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...
with English Premiership side Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
during 1997/1998, as well as London Welsh in 1999/2000 during the Rugby League close season.
Tollett was forced to give up playing in 2001 due to a persistent shoulder injury. He now works in the media for ABC News 24
ABC News 24
ABC News 24 is an Australian 24-hour news channel launched and owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The channel replaced the former ABC High Definition simulcast of ABC1 and commenced broadcasting at 7:30pm 5:30 on Thursday, 22 July 2010.-Pre-launch:The ABC announced in January 2010...
and ABC NewsRadio
ABC NewsRadio
ABC NewsRadio is an Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio service devoted to delivering live and 24-hour news updates and information. The service is available on a number of broadcasts right around Australia, including AM/FM radio, some pay-TV platforms and online via the Internet.Originally...
in Sydney and has also worked for BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
, Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
and Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
amongst others as a presenter, reporter or commentator, and worked as a pitchside reporter for TVH, the host broadcaster, at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France.
Tollett also holds a Bachelor of Physical Education Teaching degree, as well as a 1st Dan Karate Black Belt.