Nathan Blacklock facts for kids

Nathan Blacklock (born April 4, 1976) is a former professional rugby player from Australia. He was known for his incredible speed and ability to score tries. Nathan played both rugby league and, for a short time, rugby union. He represented the Australian national rugby league team as a winger.

Blacklock played for several famous clubs, including the Sydney City Roosters and the St. George Dragons. After the Dragons joined with the Illawarra Steelers to form the St. George Illawarra Dragons, he continued to play for them. He became the top try-scorer in the National Rugby League for three years in a row, from 1999 to 2001. Later in his career, he also played in the Super League for Hull FC in England, where he helped them win the 2005 Challenge Cup.

Early Life and Nickname

Nathan Blacklock was born in a town called Tingha, New South Wales. Because of his birthplace and his amazing speed on the field, he earned the nickname Tingha Tornado.

Rugby League Career Highlights

Starting His Professional Journey

Nathan Blacklock began his professional rugby league career in 1995 with the Sydney City Roosters. After that, he moved to the St. George Dragons, playing for them in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, he had a fantastic season, scoring 20 tries in 22 games. This was the second-highest number of tries in the competition that year.

Success with St. George Illawarra

From 1999 to 2002, Nathan played for the new team, the St. George Illawarra Dragons. He played as a winger in the 1999 NRL Grand Final, where his team unfortunately lost to Melbourne.

In 1999, Blacklock scored 24 tries in 24 matches, which was the most in the league that year. He continued to be the top try-scorer in the Australian National Rugby League for three seasons in a row (1999, 2000, and 2001). This was a very rare achievement, as it was the first time since the 1920s that a player had topped the try-scoring list for three consecutive years. Nathan Blacklock was also the first player ever to score 20 or more tries in four seasons in a row.

Amazing Try-Scoring Records

• In 2000, Nathan scored 25 tries in 26 matches.
• In 2001, he scored an incredible 27 tries in 28 matches, completing his third year as the top try-scorer.

Representing Australia

At the end of the 2001 NRL season, Nathan Blacklock was chosen to go on the 2001 Kangaroo tour with the Australian national team. He was first selected for the Australian national rugby league team in 2001. In his first game, he scored two tries in Australia's big 54–12 win against Papua New Guinea. He played one more international game, which was against Great Britain in 2001.

Nathan was a standout player, but he was not selected for the New South Wales Blues 2001 State of Origin team. This decision was surprising to many, as he was the leading winger in the competition.

Switching to Rugby Union and Return

During the 2002 NRL season, Nathan Blacklock decided to try playing rugby union. Some people thought this move was because he was disappointed about not being chosen for the State of Origin series. After a short time playing rugby union with the New South Wales Waratahs, Nathan returned to the St. George club in the second half of the 2003 NRL season. He quickly showed his skill again, scoring 14 tries in just 12 games.

The 2004 season was a bit tougher for Blacklock due to injuries that kept him off the field. However, he returned to help St. George Illawarra at the end of the year. He scored important tries, including in a comeback win against Manly and a close loss to Penrith in the finals.

From 1997 to 2004, Nathan Blacklock played 137 first-grade games for the Dragons. He scored 120 tries and kicked 14 goals, totaling 508 points. This means he had one of the best try-scoring rates of any rugby league player. In his entire career from 1995 to 2004, he played 142 first-grade games, scoring 121 tries and kicking 14 goals for a total of 512 points.

Playing in England and Retirement

At the end of 2004, Nathan Blacklock left the NRL to play in the Super League for the English team Hull F.C.. In his first season with Hull F.C., he scored 22 tries across all competitions. He played as a winger for Hull F.C. in their victory against the Leeds Rhinos in the 2005 Challenge Cup Final.

In August 2006, it was announced that Nathan Blacklock had to retire from all forms of football. This was due to a serious knee injury. He had planned to retire at the end of the season, but his injury meant he could no longer play. Nathan expressed his disappointment, saying he couldn't give 100% anymore because of his injuries. His coach, Peter Sharp, praised Blacklock's amazing career and achievements.

After his professional retirement, Blacklock still played a couple of games for the Tuggeranong Vikings in 2009. He also played for the Muswellbrook Rams in a local league.