Hazem El Masri
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 1, 1976 | |
| Place of birth | Tripoli, Lebanon | |
| Height | 178 cm | |
| Nickname | El Magic | |
| Position | Wing | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| Enfield Federals | ||
| Professional clubs* | ||
| 1996 - | Canterbury | 235 (125) |
|
* Professional club appearances and (tries) |
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Hazem El Masri (Arabic: حازم المصري) (born April 1, 1976 in Tripoli, Lebanon) is a Lebanese-Australian rugby league player for the Canterbury Bulldogs in the National Rugby League competition, he has also appeared for his country of Lebanon on four occasions to date in his career and for his adopted country of Australia on five. His position of choice is usually on the wing and he is most well known for his goal kicking and is recognised as one of the most accurate kickers in the history of the game.
El Masri is a devout Muslim who shirks the stereotypical behaviour of professional athletes and has become a positive role model for many of the Lebanese and Muslim communities within Australia.
El Masri holds the NRL point scoring record for a single season with 342 points (16 tries and 139 goals [also a single season record]) in the 2004 season. As of mid-2006, he stands 7th on the all-time pointscoring lists, and has surpassed the 1700-point mark (with 1702 points).
He also holds the Canterbury career points record, surpassing Daryl Halligan in 2005, and most goals scored by a Bulldogs player in a single match with 11 against the Rabbitohs in Rd 21 2003. In 2006, El Masri broke another two club records: the most points scored for a single game (34 points, Rd 2 vs Wests Tigers) and the most tries for the Bulldogs (123, Rd 13 vs Newcastle Knights) . He also kicked his 600th goal during that match.[1]
In 2004, when members of the Bulldogs were accused of committing a gang rape in Coffs Harbour, El Masri was the only member of the team not to give a DNA sample to police, refusing on the grounds that he was in bed at the time and that it was an insult to his character[2] . No further action was taken.[3]
