Lee Pomfret (born 8 December 1957) is an Australian former professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. Pomfret was a foundation player for

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

playing in the club's first game.

Background

Pomfret was born in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and played his junior rugby league for the Peakhurst Hawks.

Playing career

Pomfret made his first grade debut for St George in Round 1 1977 against Penrith at

Kogarah Oval Jubilee Stadium, also known as Kogarah Oval or by its sponsored name Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium in Carlton, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. The stadium is mainly used for rugby league and the A-League, and is one ...

. St George went on to win the premiership in 1977 but Pomfret was not a member of the grand final winning team. In 1980, Pomfret joined Canterbury-Bankstown and made 10 appearances in his first year at the club. Pomfret played in 2 finals games but was not selected in the grand final team which defeated

Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...

to win their first premiership in 38 years. In 1982, Pomfret joined newly admitted Illawarra and played in the club's first ever game which was against Penrith at

WIN Stadium Wollongong Showground, known as WIN Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Wollongong, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawa ...

and ended in a 17–7 loss. Pomfret looked set to cement his first grade place at fullback with I’warra in 1982 but in a match against Wests he was left with a broken nose and fractured cheekbone after an altercation with opposing forward Bob Cooper. Pomfret played with Illawarra up until the end of the 1983 season before retiring.

References

1957 births Living people Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players Illawarra Steelers players St. George Dragons players Australian rugby league players Rugby league wingers Rugby league centres Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league halfbacks Rugby league players from Sydney {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1950s-stub