Cameron Munster facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 13 September 1994 Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia |
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| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 89 kg (14 st 0 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Five-eighth, Fullback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 8 October 2024
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Cameron Munster is a famous Australian professional rugby league player. He was born on September 13, 1994. He plays as a five-eighth for the Melbourne Storm team in the National Rugby League (NRL). He also plays for Australia in international games. Many people think he is one of the best five-eighths ever!
Cameron also plays for Queensland in the exciting State of Origin series. He even won the Wally Lewis Medal in 2020, which means he was the best player in that series. He helped his Melbourne team win the 2017 NRL Grand Final and the 2020 NRL Grand Final. Earlier in his career, he played as a fullback. But he became a five-eighth when another great player, Billy Slater, came back from injury in 2017.
Contents
Growing Up in Rugby League
Cameron Munster was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. He went to Berserker Street State School and then Emmaus College, Rockhampton.
He started playing junior rugby league for the North Knights. He played as a five-eighth. Later, he joined the Central Queensland Capras in the Queensland Cup. In June 2013, he signed a two-year contract with the Melbourne Storm.
Before joining Melbourne, his coach Jason Hetherington tried to get him signed by another club. But they were not interested. On September 21, 2013, Cameron won the Rookie of the Year award in the Queensland Cup.
Cameron's Playing Journey
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Starting in the NRL: 2014-2015
In 2014, Cameron played for the Storm's youth team. He played 9 games and scored 7 tries. He then moved to the Storm's Queensland Cup team, the Eastern Suburbs Tigers. In May, he played for the Queensland Under-20s team.
In Round 12 of the 2014 NRL season, he played his first ever NRL game for the Storm. This was against the North Queensland Cowboys.
In 2015, Cameron returned to the Storm in Round 6. He filled in for the injured Billy Slater at fullback. He scored his first NRL try in a win against the Canberra Raiders. When Billy Slater was out for the rest of the year, Cameron easily took over the fullback role.
In Round 22, he scored three tries in one game against the Gold Coast Titans. Cameron had a great 2015 season, playing 19 matches and scoring 7 tries.
Becoming a Key Player: 2016-2017
In 2016, Cameron was chosen for the Queensland Emerging Origin squad. However, he was temporarily excluded from representative programs. He started the 2016 season playing at centre.
After Billy Slater got injured again, Cameron became the main fullback for the rest of the season. In May 2016, he signed a new contract with the Melbourne Storm until 2019. This was a big deal for him.
On October 2, 2016, Cameron played fullback in the 2016 NRL Grand Final. His team lost a close game to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. He played 24 matches and scored 4 tries that season.
In 2017, Billy Slater returned from injury. This meant Cameron was expected to play five-eighth. He had to fill in at fullback for the first two rounds. When Billy Slater returned in Round 3, Cameron moved to five-eighth. He then got a fractured cheekbone and was out until Round 7.
Cameron came back strong as a five-eighth. He played alongside famous players like Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, and Billy Slater. He was chosen as the 18th man for Queensland in the 2017 State of Origin series. After an injury to Johnathan Thurston, Cameron made his State of Origin debut. He played five-eighth in the deciding Game 3. He played amazingly well and helped Queensland win the series!
On October 1, 2017, Cameron played five-eighth in the 2017 NRL Grand Final. The Storm won easily against the North Queensland Cowboys. He had a fantastic 2017 season, playing 21 matches and scoring 1 try.
Soon after, Cameron was picked for the Australian team for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. He made his international debut against France. He scored 2 tries in a big win for Australia.
Grand Finals and Awards: 2018-2020
In 2018, Cameron played in the 2018 World Club Challenge and the 2018 NRL Grand Final. He was sent off the field twice in the Grand Final loss to the Sydney Roosters. In November 2018, he signed a new contract with Melbourne until the end of 2023.
In the 2019 NRL season, Cameron played 24 games. The Storm finished first in the league. He played in the preliminary final, where his team lost to the Sydney Roosters. In October 2019, he was again named in the Australian team.
On October 25, 2020, Cameron played for Melbourne in their 26–20 Grand Final win against Penrith. This was another big win for him and the Storm.
On November 4, 2020, Cameron scored his first State of Origin try. This helped Queensland win Game 1 of the 2020 State of Origin series. On November 18, 2020, he helped Queensland win the series. He was named the best player of the match and the best player of the series!
Recent Seasons: 2021-Present
In 2021, Cameron played for Queensland in the 2021 State of Origin series. He played 21 games for Melbourne in the 2021 NRL season. The team won 19 matches in a row and finished first. Cameron played in all three finals matches. However, Melbourne lost in the preliminary final to the Penrith team.
In 2022, Cameron received a lot of praise from rugby league legends. Andrew Johns said he was "in another stratosphere." Cameron was Man of the Match in the first State of Origin game. He was compared to the great Wally Lewis by former Queensland captain Paul Vautin. He scored his second Origin try in Game 2.
Before the deciding Origin game, Cameron tested positive for COVID-19. This meant he could not play in the match. In Round 21 of the 2022 NRL season, Cameron played fullback and scored three tries in a game.
Cameron decided to stay with the Melbourne Storm, signing a new long-term contract. He wanted to remain a "one-club man." In October, he was chosen for the Australian team for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
In 2023, Cameron played in all three games of the 2023 State of Origin series. Queensland won the series 2-1. He played 22 games for Melbourne in the 2023 NRL season. The team finished third. He played in all three finals matches, but Melbourne lost to Penrith in the preliminary final.
In 2024, Cameron injured his groin in Round 11. He returned to play later in the season. He confirmed he would need surgery after the season ended. On August 21, 2024, Cameron became a life member of the Melbourne Storm. He played 17 games for Melbourne in the 2024 NRL season. The Storm finished first. Cameron played in the 2024 NRL Grand Final loss against Penrith.
Cameron's Personal Life
Cameron Munster married Bianca McMahon on December 31, 2023.
Awards and Achievements
Cameron Munster has won many awards and honours throughout his career:
Individual Awards
- RLPA Rookie of the Year: 2015
- Melbourne Storm Rookie of The Year: 2015
- Melbourne Storm Back of The Year: 2015
- Melbourne Storm Most Improved: 2016
- Melbourne Storm Members' Player of The Year: 2018, 2022
- Melbourne Storm Cameron Smith Player of The Year: 2018, 2022
- Dally M Five-Eighth of The Year: 2018, 2019, 2022
- RLPA Five-Eighth of The Year: 2018, 2019, 2022
- Wally Lewis Medal: 2020 (Best player in State of Origin series)
- Melbourne Storm Life Member (#160)
Team Achievements
- 2016 Minor Premiership Winners (Finished first in regular season)
- 2016 NRL Grand Final Runner-up
- 2017 Minor Premiership Winners
- 2017 NRL Grand Final Winners
- 2018 World Club Challenge Winners
- 2018 NRL Grand Final Runner-up
- 2019 Minor Premiership Winners
- 2020 NRL Grand Final Winners
- 2021 Minor Premiership Winners
Representative Honours
- 2017 State of Origin series Winners (with Queensland)
- 2020 State of Origin series Winners (with Queensland)
- 2022 State of Origin series Winners (with Queensland)
- 2023 State of Origin series Winners (with Queensland)
- 2021 Rugby League World Cup Winners (with Australia)
