Ben Jeffries facts for kids
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Personal information
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 4 September 1980 Forster, New South Wales, Australia |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Playing information
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (12 st 13 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Stand-off, Scrum-half | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Coaching information
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ben Jeffries is an Australian rugby league coach and a former professional player. He was born on September 4, 1980. Ben is currently the head coach for several important teams. These include the Newcastle Knights NRL Women's Premiership team, the PNG Orchids, and the Indigenous Women's All Stars.
During his playing career, Ben was a halfback or five-eighth. He played most of his games for Wakefield Trinity and the Bradford Bulls in the Super League. Before that, he started his career in Australia with the St George Illawarra Dragons and Wests Tigers in the NRL.
Contents
Playing Rugby League
Starting Out in Forster
Ben Jeffries grew up in Forster, New South Wales. He went to Forster High School. In 1998, he was chosen to play for the Australian Schoolboys rugby league team. This is a special team for talented young players. After high school, he signed with the Newcastle Knights.
Playing for the Dragons and Tigers
In 2000, Ben joined the St George Illawarra Dragons. He had played two seasons in the Knights' junior teams. In 2001, he made his first appearance in the NRL. This was the top rugby league competition in Australia. He played only one game for the Dragons.
Later in 2001, Ben moved to the Wests Tigers. He played nine games for them that year. In 2002, he played 18 games for the Tigers. He often started as the halfback for the team.
Time in the Super League
In 2003, Ben moved to England to play for Wakefield Trinity in the Super League. This is the top rugby league competition in Europe. He played 27 games in his first season. In 2004, he played 33 games and scored 24 tries. He helped Wakefield reach the finals that year.
In 2005, Ben scored 20 tries in 27 games. He was the top try scorer for Wakefield. After this successful season, he signed a new three-year contract. In 2007, after playing 143 games for Wakefield, Ben joined the Bradford Bulls.
He played 27 games for the Bradford Bulls in 2007. They also made it to the finals. In 2009, after two seasons with Bradford, he decided to return to Wakefield.
Back to Wakefield and Bradford
Ben played 22 games for Wakefield in 2010. In 2011, after playing five games for Wakefield, he rejoined the Bradford Bulls. He played in every game for the rest of the 2011 season. He often played as the five-eighth.
In 2012, he continued to play for Bradford. On September 5, 2012, Ben announced he was leaving the Bradford Bulls. He returned to Australia to play part-time for the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs. At that time, Ben was the only Australian player to play 10 years in a row in the Super League.
Return to Australia
In 2014, Ben signed with the Northern Pride team in Cairns. This team plays in the Queensland Cup. He got an arm injury in his very first game. Because of this, he could not play for the rest of that season.
Coaching Teams
Helping Young Players
In 2014, Ben started his coaching career. He worked as an assistant coach for the Newcastle Knights junior team. Later that year, he also helped the Northern Pride team. He worked as a coach for their strength and conditioning. He also coached the hookers and halves for their junior teams. In 2015, he left the club.
In 2015, Ben began working for the NRL. He was a Development Manager in Townsville. His job was to help grow the sport. In 2016, he coached the Townsville women's team. He also coached the under-14 girls' team. In October 2016, he became the head coach of the Queensland Murri women's team.
In 2017, he joined the North Queensland Cowboys. He was an assistant coach for their under-20 team. Later that year, he was also an assistant coach for the Queensland women's team.
Coaching Women's Rugby League
In 2018, Ben was an assistant coach for the Townsville Blackhawks. He was also the head coach for the Queensland Academy of Sport women's under-18 team. In December 2018, Ben was named the Elite Pathways coach for the North Queensland Cowboys.
From 2020 to 2023, Ben coached the Indigenous Women's All Stars. In 2022, he coached the PNG Orchids at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
In November 2022, Ben was announced as the first-ever head coach for the North Queensland Cowboys NRLW team. The NRLW is the top women's rugby league competition in Australia. He was released from the club in December 2023.
