Reece Robinson (born 13 June 1987) is a

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

international

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 11 ...

footballer who most recently played for the

Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen Ne ...

in the NRL. He previously played for the

Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...

Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby ...

and

Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...

in the

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

and the Indigenous All Stars at representative level. He has previously played

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

for the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby

Early life

Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Robinson is of

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

and Lebanese descent. Robinson played his junior football for the

Alexandria Rovers The Alexandria Rovers are an Australian rugby league football team based in Alexandria, New South Wales, a suburb of south-central Sydney. They play in the South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League. Notable Juniors Notable First Grade P ...

as well playing in the

South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league club based in Redfern, a suburb of inner-southern Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and are one of nine existing tea ...

SG Ball The S. G. Ball Cup is a junior rugby league football competition played predominantly in New South Wales, between teams made up of players aged under 19. Teams from Canberra and Melbourne (Victoria Thunderbolts) also participate. Prior to the C ...

team before joining the Brisbane Broncos. Robinson was educated at

Randwick Boys High School Randwick Boys' High School (RBHS) is a high school located in Randwick, New South Wales, Randwick, Sydney, Australia, between Rainbow Street and Avoca Street. It is a boys' high school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education with ...

. He also played

Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

as a schoolboy.

Rugby league club career

Brisbane Broncos (2008)

In round 1 of the 2008 NRL season, Robinson made his NRL debut for the Brisbane Broncos against the

Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrit ...

on the in the Broncos 48–12 win at

Suncorp Stadium Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

. In round 3 against the

North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...

, Robinson scored his first NRL career try in the Broncos 36–2 win at Suncorp Stadium. Robinson finished his debut year in the NRL with him playing in 13 matches and scoring four tries. Robinson's contract with the Brisbane Broncos was not renewed for the 2009 season.

North Sydney Bears (2009)

Robinson was picked up by the

North Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears is an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. The club competes in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 90 years in t ...

, the feeder club for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, in the

New South Wales Cup The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserv ...

in 2009. On 12 December, Robinson was signed by the

after recommendation from Wayne Bennett starting from 2010. Robinson made 22 appearances for Norths and scored 22 tries. Reece Robinson at an Raiders autograph session at Bolton Park

Reece Robinson at an Raiders autograph session at Bolton Park

Canberra Raiders (2010–2014)

In round 1 of the

2010 NRL season The 2010 NRL season was the 103rd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the thirteenth run by the National Rugby League. The season commenced on 12 March and ended with the Grand Final, played on 3 Octobe ...

, Robinson made his club debut for the Canberra Raiders against the Penrith Panthers on the wing in Canberra's 34–16 loss at

Penrith Stadium Penrith Stadium (known commercially as BlueBet Stadium) is a rugby league and association football stadium located in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. The 22,500 capacity venue is the home ground for the Penrith Panthers who play in the Na ...

. In Round 25 against the

, Robinson scored an impressive 4 tries in the 48–4 win at

Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium (GIO Stadium for commercial reasons) is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sports ven ...

. Robinson played in five matches and scored five tries for his first season with the club. Robinson played in 14 matches and scored five tries for Canberra in 2011. Robinson finished

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

as Canberra's top tryscorer with 17 tries in 24 matches. After incumbent fullback

Josh Dugan Joshua Dugan (born 10 May 1990) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a and for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL and Australia at international level. He previously played for the Canberra R ...

was sacked from Canberra in March 2013, Robinson replaced him at with some success until he was himself replaced by

Anthony Milford Anthony Milford (born 11 July 1994) is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Dolphins in the NRL. He previously played for the Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders and Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby Le ...

. Robinson played in 22 matches, scored seven tries and kicked a goal for Canberra in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

. In February, Robinson was selected in the Canberra Raiders inaugural

2014 Auckland Nines The 2014 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the first NRL Auckland Nines tournament, contested between all sixteen teams of the National Rugby League. The draw was released on 30 October 2014. ...

squad. Robinson played in 18 matches, scored 10 tries and kicked 2 goals for the Raiders in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

. On 15 October 2014, Robinson signed a one-year deal with the

to be a candidate to replace the departed Eels fullback

Jarryd Hayne Jarryd Lee Hayne (born 15 February 1988) is a former professional rugby league footballer who also briefly played American football and rugby union sevens. Hayne began his career in 2006 as a er for the Parramatta Eels, winning the NRL's Dal ...

Parramatta Eels (2015)

In January, Robinson played for the

in the

2015 NRL Auckland Nines The 2015 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the second NRL Auckland Nines tournament, contested between all sixteen teams of the National Rugby League. The draw was released on 16 September 201 ...

. In round 1, Robinson made his club debut for Parramatta against the

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...

on the , kicking seven goals in their 42–12 win at Parramatta Stadium. In round 3 against the

New Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...

, Robinson scored his first club try for Parramatta in the 29–16 loss at

Mt Smart Stadium Mount Smart Stadium (formerly known as Ericsson Stadium) is a multipurpose stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the main home ground of the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League, and occasionally hosts rugby union and internatio ...

Sydney Roosters

On 7 December 2017, it was revealed that Robinson had signed a one-year deal to join the

. In round 5 of the

2018 NRL season The 2018 NRL season was the 111th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 21st season run by the National Rugby League. The main competition, known as the 2018 Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship from Telstra, featured 16 team ...

, Robinson scored his first club try just 13 seconds left before full-time siren for the Sydney Roosters in a 28-10 win at Southern Cross Group Stadium. The Sydney Roosters went on to win the Minor Premiership and

Grand Final Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. S ...

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

. On 31 October 2018, Robinson was announced as one of the players that was released by the club after not being offered a new contract.

Queanbeyan Kangaroos

In 2019, Robinson played for the Queanbeyan Kangaroos in the Canberra Raiders Cup competition.

Rugby league representative career

Robinson played for the

Lebanon national rugby league team The Lebanon national rugby league team (Arabic: المنتخب اللبناني للرجبي ليغ) represents Lebanon in rugby league football. Nicknamed "the Cedars" after the Lebanese cedar tree, the team was formed by Lebanese Australians ...

in the

2009 European Cup The 2009 European Cup, known as the rugbyleague.com European Cup due to sponsorship, was a rugby league football tournament. The revamped European Cup 2009 involved six teams competing in two groups of three. Participating teams were: Ireland, Sc ...

, scoring a hat-trick of tries in an 86–0 thrashing of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Robinson played in three matches, scored five tries and kicked four goals in the tournament. On 9 February 2013, Robinson starred on the wing for the Indigenous All Stars scoring a second half hat trick in the 32–6 win against the NRL All Stars at

. Robinson has been chosen to represent Lebanon again in the

2017 Rugby League World Cup The 2017 Rugby League World Cup was the fifteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and took place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 27 October and 2 December 2017. The tournament featured the national teams ...

but withdrew due to injury. Robinson represented Lebanon at the

2021 Rugby League World Cup The 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) was a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league, held in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. England won hosting rights for the competition on 27 October 2016. The bid received £ ...

playing in all four games and scoring two tries.

Rugby union career

On 15 October 2015, Robinson switched codes to Rugby union, signing a 2-year contract with Super Rugby side New South Wales Waratahs. He played in the 2016 National Rugby Championship for

New South Wales Country Eagles The New South Wales Country Eagles is an Australian rugby union football team competes in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). The team was founded by a group of patrons associated with country rugby in New South Wales. The Eagles team plays ...

, winning the Minor Championship and runners up in the Grand Final.

Personal life

Robinson has a twin brother,

Travis Robinson Travis Robinson (born 13 June 1987) is a Lebanon international rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the Newtown Jets in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. ...

, who is contracted to the

Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...

and a member of the

. Robinson is also a relative of Australian boxer

Anthony Mundine Anthony Mundine Jr. (born 21 May 1975) is an Australian former professional boxer and rugby league footballer. In boxing he competed from 2000 to 2021, and held the WBA super-middleweight title twice between 2003 and 2008. He also held the I ...

, former professional

footballer

Nathan Merritt Nathan Merritt (born 26 May 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative , he played in the National Rugby League for the South Sydney Rab ...

and is step brothers with ex- South Sydney player

Beau Champion Beau Champion (born 23 December 1986) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Melbourne Storm, Gold Coast Titans and Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League. He is the second c ...

.Phelps, James. (9 September 2012
Reece is the word for a boxing world champion and the supercoach
News.com.au. Retrieved on 2016-09-21.

References

External links

Sydney Roosters profileWaratahs profile
*
2017 RLWC profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Reece 1987 births Living people Australian people of Lebanese descent Australian rugby league players Australian rugby union players Brisbane Broncos players Canberra Raiders players Indigenous All Stars players Indigenous Australian rugby league players Lebanon national rugby league team players Mount Pritchard Mounties players New South Wales Waratahs players Newcastle Yowies players North Sydney Bears NSW Cup players Parramatta Eels players Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league players from Sydney Rugby league wingers Rugby union players from Sydney Rugby union wings Souths Logan Magpies players Sydney Roosters players Randwick DRUFC players People educated at Randwick Boys High School