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Gregan has played Super 12 (now Super 14) for the ACT Brumbies since the inception of that competition in 1996, helping lead them to overall victories in 2001 and 2004. He is a foundation Brumbies player and one of the few players that careers' span over both the amateur and professional eras. His appearances as Australian captain include a Bledisloe Cup win in 2002 and an extra-time loss to England in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final.
Career
Gregan was born in Zambia, coincidentally in the same hospital where Corné Krige, who would grow up to be the South Africa captain during Gregan's Wallabies captaincy, would be born two years later. His family moved to Australia when he was one year old, and he grew up in Canberra where he was educated at St Edmund's College. After representing Australia at under-19 and under-21 level, he made his first appearance for the Wallabies in 1994. He made an immediate impact for the team, making a try-saving tackle on All Black Jeff Wilson that directly led to Australia winning the Bledisloe Cup that year.
He was elevated to the vice-captaincy of the Wallabies in 1997, serving in that role when they won the 1999 Rugby World Cup. After the international retirement of John Eales in 2001, Gregan became the Wallabies captain. Gregan played in all of Australia's six World Cup matches at the 2003 event in Australia. Gregan landed an early drop goal in the close 17 to 16 victory over Ireland in the pool stages. He also scored a try in the 33 to 16 win over Scotland in the quarter-finals. He led the Wallabies into the final - defeating the All Blacks 22 to 10 in the semi-final to book a place with the English in the decider. Australia however went down to England 17 points to 20.
In June 2004 Gregan was appointed to the Order of Australia for his services to Rugby Union Football and in particular as the Captain of the Wallabies. In October 2004, Gregan announced that his four-year-old son had epilepsy and has launched an epilepsy awareness campaign in Australia with the slogan 'Get on the Team'. He also took up the role of patron of Brainwave Australia.
Gregan missed a lot of the 2005 Super 12 season after breaking his leg during a game against the New South Wales Waratahs in Canberra. He collided with opposition halfback Chris Whitaker in the second half, although it was initially thought that he had badly bruised his left leg, subsequent scans revealed a broken fibula. Though he was expected to be fit to return for the test season.
With his start in the final match of the 2005 Tri Nations at Eden Park in Auckland against the All Blacks, Gregan equaled England's Jason Leonard as the most-capped player for a national team in Test rugby, with 114 (Leonard also has five Lions caps). However, the last 20 or so of Leonard's caps were from being fielded in the last 5 to 10 minutes of the game. Gregan on the other hand (to the amazement of rugby fans worldwide) was in the starting XV of the Wallabies in most of those 114 games. Appropriately, when Australia made their entrance for that match, Gregan went out on the field by himself before any of his teammates entered the pitch.
On 5 November 2005, he earned his 115th cap, surpassing Leonard, when he led out the Wallabies at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille against France. As the Wallabies continued their tour of Europe, they lost most of their matches. Upon returning to Australia, coach Eddie Jones was sacked and Gregan subsequently became under similar pressure. In the first test of 2006, under new coach John Connolly, the Wallabies completed a solid win over England with Gregan silencing his critics with a strong performance. A tactical move by Connolly saw him move Gregan to the bench for the second test of the Cook Cup, to give Sam Cordingley game time. Gregan came off the bench in the second half at Telstra Dome in Melbourne as he earnt his 120th international cap - setting a world record.
References
External links
- George Gregan 'Get on the Team' website.
- George Gregan & Epilepsy Australia's First Aid for households campaign
- George Gregan on Sporting Heroes
Australian rugby union footballers | Rugby union scrum-halves | People from the Australian Capital Territory | Members of the Order of Australia | People of Zambian heritage | 1973 births | Living people
"George Gregan"