Ian Russell (rugby league) facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Ian Russell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 August 1965 Taree, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 96 kg (15 st 2 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Lock, Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ian Russell (born 10 August 1965) is a former professional rugby league player from Australia. He played in the 1980s and 1990s. Ian mostly played as a lock (lock forward). He played for teams like the Illawarra Steelers and North Queensland Cowboys in Australia. He also played for the Sheffield Eagles, Paris Saint-Germain, and Oldham Bears in Europe.
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Ian Russell's Rugby League Journey
Ian Russell started his rugby league journey as a junior player for the Mittagong Lions. He is of Indigenous background. In 1983, he helped his club win an under-18 Grand Final. He then played in the top-level A Grade for them in 1984. After that, he joined the Illawarra Steelers.
Playing for the Illawarra Steelers
Ian Russell made his first big game debut for the Illawarra Steelers in 1986. This was in Round 6 of the 1986 NSWRL season. His team won that game 22–8 against the St George Dragons. In 1987, after playing just one game, he left the Steelers and went back to Mittagong.
In 1988, the Steelers invited Ian back to the club. At first, he found it hard to get into the main team. However, he soon became a very important player for them. In 1990, he was named the Steelers' Player of the Year. He was also considered for the Australian national team. He finished fourth in the Rothmans Medal voting, which is a big award.
In 1991, Ian won the Steelers' Player of the Year award again. He also represented NSW Country Origin, playing as a lock. His team lost 12–22 to City. During the Australian summer of 1990–91, Ian played for the Sheffield Eagles in England. He scored three tries for them.
In 1992, Ian had a hamstring injury. This meant he missed the finals series, which was a big loss for the Steelers. Even with the injury, he won the Dally M Lock of the Year award. Over the next two seasons, injuries limited him to only 18 games. He played a total of 115 games for Illawarra. This made him the club's 10th most capped player ever.
Time with the North Queensland Cowboys
In 1995, Ian Russell joined the new team, the North Queensland Cowboys. He played as a lock in their very first game against the Sydney Bulldogs. He played 11 games in the Cowboys' first season. In 1996, Ian played only one game for the club before moving on.
Playing in Europe
After leaving the Cowboys in 1996, Ian Russell joined Paris Saint-Germain. This was for their first season in the Super League. He played three games for the French club. In 1997, Ian then joined the Oldham Bears and played six games for them.
Awards and Special Mentions
Individual Achievements
- Dally M Lock of the Year: 1992
- Illawarra Steelers Player of the Year: 1990, 1991
- Illawarra Steelers 25th Anniversary Team of Steel
Career Statistics
Australian Leagues (NSWRL/ARL)
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 |  Illawarra |
3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | Illawarra |
1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | Illawarra |
16 | 7 | 0 | — | 1 | 29 |
| 1989 | Illawarra |
18 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | Illawarra |
21 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 16 |
| 1991 | Illawarra |
22 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 8 |
| 1992 | Illawarra |
17 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 1993 | Illawarra |
8 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 8 |
| 1994 | Illawarra |
9 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 4 |
| 1995 |  North Queensland |
11 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | North Queensland |
1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career totals | 127 | 14 | 0 | — | 2 | 58 | |
European Leagues (Championship/Super League)
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 |  Sheffield |
– | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 12 |
| 1996 | [[File:|16px|]] Paris Saint-Germain | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 |  Oldham |
6 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 4 |
| Career totals | 9 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 16 | |
Life After Playing Rugby League
In 2006, Ian Russell was honored by his former club, the Illawarra Steelers. He was named as the lock in their 25th Anniversary Team of Steel. This special team celebrated the best players from the club's history.
Family Life
Ian Russell has a son named Tate. Tate is also a professional athlete, but he plays soccer. As of 2025, Tate plays for the Western United team in the A-League.
