Jack Wighton facts for kids

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Jack Wighton

Personal information
Full name	Jack Daniel Wighton
Born	(1993-02-04) 4 February 1993 (age 32) Orange, New South Wales, Australia
Height	190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	96 kg (15 st 2 lb)
Playing information
Position	Five-eighth, Fullback, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2012–23 Canberra Raiders 242 75 0 0 300 2024– South Sydney 35 12 0 0 48 Total 277 87 0 0 348 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2013–21 Indigenous All Stars 6 0 0 0 0 2013–16 NSW Country 4 1 0 0 4 2015 Prime Minister's XIII 1 1 0 0 4 2019–22 New South Wales 11 3 0 0 12 2019–22 Australia 7 3 0 0 12
As of 26 July 2025

Jack Wighton (born 4 February 1993) is an Australian professional rugby league player. He plays as a centre for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL). He also plays for the Indigenous All Stars.

Wighton is a very versatile player. He has played in many positions, including five-eighth, centre, and fullback. He won the Clive Churchill Medal in the 2019 NRL Grand Final as the best player on the field, even though his team, the Canberra Raiders, lost the game. He also won the Dally M Medal in 2020 as the league's best player.

At the international level, Wighton has played for Australia. He helped them win the 2022 Rugby League World Cup. He has also represented New South Wales in the famous State of Origin series.

Early Life and Background

Wighton was born in Orange, New South Wales. He has Indigenous Australian heritage from his mother's side, who are part of the Wiradjuri people. He is related to other famous rugby league players like Brent Naden, Willie Tonga, and Latrell Mitchell.

He played junior rugby league for the Orange CYMS and Bloomfield Tigers. His talent was noticed by the Canberra Raiders, who signed him. Before becoming a full-time football player, Wighton worked as a brickie's labourer.

Jack Wighton playing for the Canberra Raiders U20s side in 2011

Playing Career

Starting at the Raiders

In 2010, Wighton represented New South Wales in the Under-18s team and also played for the Australian Schoolboys team. He played for the Raiders' youth team in 2011 before joining the main NRL team.

In 2012, Wighton made his NRL debut for the Canberra Raiders. He played on the wing and had a great first game. He scored his first NRL try in his sixth game. Unfortunately, a toe injury from a trampoline accident made him miss most of the season. He returned for one final match. He finished his first year with 9 games and 2 tries.

In 2013, Wighton played for the Indigenous All Stars and the NSW Country team. He played 18 games for the Raiders that season, scoring 4 tries. He also signed a new contract to stay with the Raiders until 2016.

Becoming a Key Player

By 2014, Wighton was trying out a new position, five-eighth. He later moved back to centre and then to fullback, where he played very well. He played 20 matches and scored 6 tries that year.

In 2015, Wighton again played for the Indigenous All Stars and NSW Country. He had a strong season with the Raiders, playing 20 games and scoring 7 tries. He also played for the Prime Minister's XIII team against Papua New Guinea.

Wighton playing for Country in 2015

In 2016, Wighton was named in the emerging New South Wales Blues squad. He had an excellent season, helping the Raiders reach the finals. He played in 26 matches and scored 8 tries.

In 2017, Wighton played his 100th NRL game. He celebrated this milestone with a win against the New Zealand Warriors. He signed a new contract to stay with the Raiders until 2020. He played 23 games and scored 7 tries that season.

Reaching the Grand Final

Wighton warming up for Canberra in 2019

In 2018, Wighton missed ten games of the season due to a suspension from the NRL. He played in 13 matches and scored 3 tries.

The 2019 season was a huge year for Wighton. He moved to the five-eighth position and excelled. He was chosen to play for New South Wales in the State of Origin. After losing the first game, he was moved to centre for the second and third games, which NSW won to take the series.

Wighton helped the Raiders reach the 2019 NRL Grand Final, their first in 25 years. In the final against the Sydney Roosters, he scored a try. Although the Raiders lost, Wighton was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the best player in the match. He became only the fourth player to win the medal from a losing team.

Wighton warming up for the Kangaroos at the 2021 RLWC

Dally M Winner and Representative Star

In 2020, Wighton had an amazing season and won the Dally M Medal for the NRL's best player. He also won the Meninga Medal as the Raiders' player of the year, sharing it with Josh Papalii. He played for NSW in the State of Origin series again that year.

In 2021, Wighton was again selected for the NSW Origin team. He played 21 games for Canberra that season.

Wighton after Australia won the 2021 RLWC Final

In 2022, Wighton was selected for the NSW State of Origin team once more. Later that year, he was chosen for the Australian squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. He was part of the team that won the World Cup final against Samoa.

Final Years at Canberra and Move to Souths

In 2023, Wighton announced he would retire from representative rugby league to focus on his club career. Soon after, he announced he would be leaving the Raiders at the end of the season. He signed a four-year deal to join the South Sydney Rabbitohs starting in 2024. His last game for Canberra was an elimination final loss to the Newcastle Knights.

In 2024, Wighton made his debut for South Sydney. In his second game for the club, he scored two tries. He played 21 games in his first season with the Rabbitohs, who finished near the bottom of the ladder.

Honours

Individual

• Dally M Medal: 2020
• Clive Churchill Medal: 2019
• Dally M 5/8 of the Year: 2020

Canberra Raiders

• NRL Premiership Runners-Up: 2019

NSW Blues

• State of Origin: 2019, 2021

Australia

• Rugby League World Cup: 2021

Statistics

Year	Team	Games	Tries	Goals	Field Goals	Pts
2012	Canberra Raiders	9	2	0	0	8
2013		18	4	0	0	16
2014		20	6	0	0	24
2015		21	7	0	0	28
2016		26	8	0	0	32
2017		23	7	0	0	28
2018		13	3	0	0	12
2019		26	9	0	0	36
2020		22	13	0	0	52
2021		21	5	0	0	20
2022		21	4	0	0	16
2023		22	7	0	0	28
2024	South Sydney Rabbitohs	21	6	0	0	24
2025		7	3			12
	Totals	270	84	0	0	336