Dustin Cooper
 | ||||||
| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 8 May 1981 Murgon, Queensland, Australia | |||||
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | |||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Second-Row / Utility | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2003–04 | Melbourne Storm | 17 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 40 |
| 2005 | Newcastle Knights | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2007–08 | Cronulla Sharks | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009–11 | Toyota Verblitz | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 49 |
| 2011–Current | Pia Donkeys | |||||
| 2012 | Boston Thirteens | |||||
| Total | 51 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 101 | |
| As of 13:06, 29 July 2011 (UTC) | ||||||
Dustin Cooper (born 8 May 1981) is an Australian rugby league player who currently plays in the second row for Pia Donkeys in the French Elite One Championship. He returned to league after a two year stint in rugby union with Toyota Verblitz in the Japan Top League.[1] Cooper spent his 2012 offseason helping develop rugby league in the United States by volunteering his time as captain/coach of the Boston Thirteens in the USARL competition, before returning to France to play the 2012/13 season with the Donkeys.
Rugby League Career
Cooper made his debut in the NRL with the Melbourne Storm where he played the 2003 and 2004 seasons on the wing. He then moved to Newcastle Knights in 2005-2006, starting as a fullback but eventually filling the utility roll. In 2007-2008 Cooper played with Cronulla Sharks in the second row, finishing his NRL career at the end of the 2008 season.[2]He returned to league in 2011 with the Pia Donkeys, where he plays in the second row. Cooper played five-eighth for the Thirteens.
Rugby Union Career
Cooper played as a centre/winger for Toyota Verblitz 2009-2011 in the Japan Top League.,[3] and was selected in the Japan Top League All Stars match 2011. He is also an inaugural member of the Asia Pacific Barbarians, participating in the annual Hong Kong rugby tens tournament in 2011.