Jamie Ainscough

Jamie Ainscough
Ainscough in 2008
Personal information
Born 20 July 1972
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Position Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1990–91 Western Suburbs 35 14 0 0 56
1992–96 Newcastle Knights 87 47 4 2 198
1997–98 St George Dragons 37 8 0 2 34
1999–01 St. George Illawarra 69 25 2 0 104
2002–03 Wigan Warriors 39 23 0 0 94
Total 267 117 6 4 486
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1996–01 New South Wales 12 2 0 0 8
1995 Australia 1 1 0 0 4
Source: NRL Stats

Jamie Ainscough (born 1972 in Sydney ), is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative three-quarter back, he played his club football for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Newcastle Knights, St. George Illawarra Dragons and Wigan Warriors (with whom he won the 2002 Challenge Cup).

Playing career

Ainscough played for the Macquarie Cobras J.R.L.F.C in Cartwright, New South Wales. While attending Elderslie High School, Ainscough played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1989.[1] The following year he was playing first grade in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Western Suburbs Magpies.

Ainscough also played 87 games with the Newcastle Knights from 1992 to 1996. He made one international appearance for Australia against New Zealand in the 3rd Test of 1995 Brisbane. In that game Ainscough came on as a replacement and scored a try.

Ainscough represented the New South Wales Rugby League team in the State of Origin series in 12 games between 1996 and 2001 (three as a replacement).

Ainscough joined St George in 1997 and played on the wing in the 1999 NRL Grand Final loss against the Melbourne Storm. The Dragons led 14- nil at half time and were run down by the Storm. He is infamous for the illegal tackle he made on Craig Smith that cost the Dragons the premiership. On 24 October 2000, Ainscough was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his achievements.[2] He played 106 games with St George or the merged St George Illawarra Dragons up until 2001 at centre or wing.

Ainscough concluded his career in Super League with English side Wigan Warriors in 2002 when they won the Challenge Cup. He played in a Wigan team studded with Australians in Brett Dallas, Julian O'Neill, Adrian Lam, Craig Smith, David Furner and coached by Stuart Raper. Following that season he went close to needing to have his arm amputated following an infection that was found to have been caused after one of St. Helens centre Martin Gleeson's teeth was left embedded in Ainscough's arm.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "SportingPulse Homepage for Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League". SportingPulse. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  2. ↑ "Jamie Ainscough". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  3. ↑ Richards, Martin (28 April 2004). "A tooth stuck in head - but hooker plays on". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

External links

Sources

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