Austin Healey facts for kids
| Birth name | Austin Sean Healey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 26 October 1973 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Wallasey, Cheshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 13 st 10 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Austin Sean Healey (born October 26, 1973) is a former English rugby union player. He was born in Wallasey, England. Austin played as a "utility back" for Leicester Tigers. This means he could play in many different positions.
He also played for the England national team. He was part of the famous British & Irish Lions team too. Austin earned 51 caps for England and 2 for the Lions. He was known for being very competitive. People sometimes called him "The Leicester Lip" because he was outspoken. After retiring from rugby, he started working in the media.
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Early Life and School
Austin went to Bidston Avenue Primary School. Later, he attended St Anselm's College, Birkenhead. He also studied at Leeds Polytechnic.
He played youth rugby at Birkenhead Park FC. Austin even returned there in 2009. He helped with his "Big Tackle Programme" for young players.
Austin Healey's Rugby Career
Starting Out in Rugby
Austin Healey played for England's Under 21 team in 1992. He also played for England A and the Barbarians. After playing for Waterloo and Orrell, he joined Leicester Tigers. He first played as a scrum half.
He made his first full England appearance in 1997. This was during the Five Nations tournament against Ireland. He also toured with the British Lions in 1997. He played in two matches during that tour.
Austin played in the Five/Six Nations tournaments from 1998 to 2002. He also played in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. In the 1999/2000 season, he was named Player of the Season for Leicester Tigers.
Changing Positions
Leicester coach Bob Dwyer moved Austin to the wing position. This was to make space for another player, Waisale Serevi. Austin then played as a winger for England.
Later, Austin switched to fly-half for Leicester. This happened when their main fly-half, Joel Stransky, got injured. He didn't play much as a fly-half for England. His only game in that position was in 2000.
In 2001, Austin made a key play in the Heineken Cup final. This led to the winning try for Leicester. He helped Leicester win the cup again the next year. He scored a crucial try against Munster in that final.
His great performance in 2001 led to him joining the British & Irish Lions squad. They toured Australia that year. He played well in some games. However, an injury stopped him from earning more caps.
During this tour, Austin wrote a column for the Guardian. His comments about an Australian player, Justin Harrison, caused some debate. Some people thought his words motivated the Australian team.
After the Australia tour, Austin played in every game for England. He showed how versatile he was. He played as fullback, scrum half, and wing. He also came on as a substitute twice.
He returned to international games in 2002. He played as a substitute in three autumn matches. England won all these games against Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Austin went to Australia for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He was there as injury cover for other players. However, he was not officially added to the squad. This meant he didn't get a medal for England's victory.
Later Seasons
In the 2004/2005 season, Austin played very well again. Some people wanted him to return to the England team. The coach, Andy Robinson, considered it, but it didn't happen. Austin then hoped to join the 2005 Lions' tour. He was on the long list but not chosen for the final team. He wrote a column about the tour for the Guardian.
In the 2005/2006 season, Austin became vice-captain for Leicester Tigers. He often captained the team. He played as both scrum half and fly half. Leicester reached the Premiership final but lost to Sale Sharks. Austin said he threw his silver medal away. He didn't like "losers medals."
Retirement from Rugby
Austin Healey retired from Leicester Tigers in 2006. He planned to start a new job as a banker. He also continued working as a rugby expert for the BBC.
Television Appearances
Austin has appeared on several TV shows:
- He competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2008. He finished in 4th place.
- He appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2008. He won £50,000 for charity with Gary Lineker.
- He presented The Big Tackle on ITV in 2009. This show helped rugby clubs around the country. He even visited his old club, Birkenhead Park.
- He was on Beat the Star in 2009. He won his challenge against a factory manager.
- He was a team captain on Hole in the Wall.
- Austin hosted the ITV game show The Fuse in 2009.
- In 2011, he appeared on a celebrity edition of The Chase. He won with Joe Pasquale.
- He was on the BBC game show Mastermind in 2013. His special topic was Everton Football Club.
Autobiography
Austin Healey wrote a book about his life. It is called Lions, Tigers and Roses. It was published in 2001.
See Also
- List of top English points scorers and try scorers
