Christopher Michael Joynt (born 7 December 1971) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. Not to be confused with the American cannabis activist with the same name. A Great Britain international representative and , he played his club football with St Helens ( Heritage № 1037), with whom he won numerous titles, as well as Oldham ( Heritage № 958) and a stint in Australia with the Newcastle Knights. He lifted many trophies throughout a glittering Knowsley Road career, including consecutive Super League championships in 1999 and 2000.

Background

Joynt was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England.

Playing career

1990s

Joynt began his career at Oldham before moving on to play for St. Helens in 1992. Joynt also represented England at the

1995 Rugby League World Cup The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact ...

. He was selected to play for England in the 1995 World Cup Final on the reserve bench but

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

won the match and retained the Cup.In 1991 Joynt played the English off season in Australia for NSW group 20 club, Yenda Blue Heelers

County Cup Final appearances

Chris Joynt played left- in St. Helens 4–5 defeat by Wigan in the

1992–93 Lancashire Cup The 1992 Lancashire Cup was the 80th and last occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion was held. Wigan won the trophy by beating St. Helens by the score of 5-4 in the final. Background The failure of London Crusaders to enter, due p ...

Final during the 1992–93 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Sunday 18 October 1992.

Regal Trophy Final appearances

Chris Joynt played left- in St. Helens' 16–25 defeat by Wigan in the 1995–96 Regal Trophy Final during the 1995–96 at

Alfred McAlpine Stadium Kirklees Stadium (currently known due to sponsorship as the John Smith's Stadium) is a multi-use stadium in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 1994, it has been the home ground of football club Huddersfield Town and rugby lea ...

, Huddersfield on Saturday 13 January 1996. Joynt played for St. Helens at in their

1996 Challenge Cup The 1996 Challenge Cup was the 95th staging of the Challenge Cup tournament. Known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup due to sponsorship from Silk Cut, it was the first Challenge Cup of the summer era. The tournament featured 40 teams playing 42 games ...

Final victory over Bradford Bulls. He took over as captain of the club in 1997, and held the position until 2003. In the 1997 post season, Joynt was selected to play for Great Britain at in all three matches of the Super League Test series against

. Joynt played for St. Helens at in their

1999 Super League Grand Final The 1999 Super League Grand Final was the Second official Grand Final conclusive and championship-deciding game of the Super League IV season. The match was played between St. Helens and Bradford Bulls on Saturday 9 October 1999, at Old Traffo ...

victory over Bradford Bulls.

2000s

Having won the 1999 Championship, St. Helens contested in the

2000 World Club Challenge The 2000 World Club Challenge was contested by 1999 NRL season premiers, the Melbourne Storm and 1999's Super League IV champions, St. Helens. The match was played on 22 January at JJB Stadium, Wigan before a crowd of 13,394. The Melbourne Storm ...

against National Rugby League Premiers the Melbourne Storm, with Joynt playing at in the loss. Joynt is probably best remembered as the scorer of the Wide to West try in the Super League Final Eliminator in 2000, which won the match for St. Helens. He played at and scored two tries in the subsequent 2000 Super League Grand Final victory over the Wigan Warriors, and being awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy. Joynt went on to represent Ireland at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. As

Super League V Tetley's Bitter Super League was the official name for the year 2000's Super League championship season, the 106th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the fifth championship run by the Super League. The season c ...

champions, St. Helens played against 2000 NRL Premiers, the Brisbane Broncos in the

2001 World Club Challenge The 2001 World Club Challenge was contested between Super League V champions, St. Helens and 2000 NRL season premiers, the Brisbane Broncos. The Broncos made the trip to England to play St Helens before the start of the 2001 NRL and Super Leagu ...

. Joynt was the

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, played as a and scored a try in St. Helens' victory. In 2002, Joynt was at the centre of controversy when he seemingly performed a 'voluntary tackle' with seconds remaining in the

2002 Super League Grand Final The 2002 Super League Grand Final was the Fifth official Grand Final and conclusive and championship-deciding game of Super League VII. Held on Saturday 19 October 2002 at Old Trafford, Manchester, the game was played between St. Helens and Brad ...

. St. Helens had just kicked a

drop-goal A drop goal, field goal, or dropped goal is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league and also, rarely, in American football and Canadian football. A drop goal is scored by drop kicking the ball (dropping the ball and then ki ...

to take a one-point lead in the match, and the penalty from the voluntary tackle would have given the Bradford Bulls a chance to kick at goal and win the match. However, the referee dismissed wild protests from the Bradford Bulls players and the final hooter went, with St. Helens winning 19–18. Having won

Super League VI Tetley's Super League VI was the official name for the year 2001's Super League championship season, the 107th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the sixth championship run by the Super League. The season began ...

, St. Helens contested the

2003 World Club Challenge The 2003 World Club Challenge match was contested on Sunday, 16 February by National Rugby League season 2002 premiers, the Sydney Roosters and Super League VII premiers, St. Helens. 19,807 spectators turned out at Bolton's Reebok Stadium for th ...

against 2002 NRL Premiers, the Sydney Roosters. Joynt captained St. Helens as a in their 0-38 defeat. Joynt relinquished captaincy of St. Helens to Paul Sculthorpe at the end of 2003's Super League VIII, and retired from rugby league following the 2004's Super League IX. Joynt was a Great Britain international with 27 caps. Joynt also represented Lancashire in the

Origin Series The War of the Roses, (also known in its last years as the County of Origin Series) was the inter-county rugby league matches between representative teams from Yorkshire and Lancashire, the areas where rugby league has traditionally been most ...

References

External links

2001 Ashes profile

Profile at saints.org.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joynt, Chris 1971 births Living people England national rugby league team players English people of Irish descent English rugby league players Great Britain national rugby league team players Ireland national rugby league team players Lancashire rugby league team players Newcastle Knights players Oldham R.L.F.C. players Rugby league locks Rugby league players from Wigan Rugby league props Rugby league second-rows St Helens R.F.C. captains St Helens R.F.C. players