Steve Renouf facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Steven Renouf | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 8 June 1970 Murgon, Queensland, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Relatives | Donald Malone (nephew) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Steven Renouf (born 8 June 1970) is a former professional rugby league player from Australia. He played in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. People called him 'the Pearl'. He was known as one of the best centres in the sport.
Renouf set many records for the Brisbane Broncos club. He played for Brisbane for eleven years, winning four championships. After that, he moved to England to play for the Wigan Warriors for two seasons before he retired. He was also named in Australia's Indigenous team of the century.
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Steve Renouf's Rugby League Journey
Starting with the Brisbane Broncos
Steven Renouf was born in Murgon, Queensland. He has both Aboriginal and European heritage. He started playing rugby league as a junior for the Murgon Mustangs. He then joined the Brisbane Broncos as a teenager.
Renouf played his first top-level game in 1989. He scored his first try for the Broncos in 1990. The next year, he scored four tries in one game, which was a new club record. He was also the Broncos' top try scorer in 1991 and 1992.
Winning the First Championship
In 1992, the Broncos won their first championship, called the Winfield Cup. They beat St. George 28–8 in the Grand Final. A highlight was Renouf's amazing 98-metre try. He ran almost the entire length of the field to score.
After this big win, Renouf went to England with the Kangaroos team. They played in the 1992 Rugby League World Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Renouf played his first game for Australia in front of a huge crowd of over 73,000 fans. He scored the only try of the match. Australia won the World Cup by beating Great Britain 10–6.
A week later, Renouf played for Brisbane against Wigan Warriors in the 1992 World Club Challenge. The Broncos won 22–8. They became the first Australian team to win this challenge in England.
More Grand Final Success
In 1997, Renouf scored 14 tries for the Broncos. This included three tries in the 1997 Super League grand final. Brisbane won 26–8 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Renouf was named the best player of the match.
He also played centre for the Brisbane Broncos when they won the 1998 NRL grand final. Even many years after he left the Broncos, he was still the club's all-time leading try scorer. He scored a total of 142 tries for them.
Playing for Wigan Warriors
Renouf moved to England to play for the Wigan Warriors. His first game for Wigan was in the Challenge Cup in 2000. He scored two tries in a huge 98–4 win against Whitehaven.
In 2000, Renouf received the Australian Sports Medal. This award recognized his important role in Australian rugby league. He played for the Wigan Warriors in the 2000 Super League Grand Final, but they lost to St Helens R.F.C.. His very last game at the top level was the 2001 Super League Grand Final. His team lost to the Bradford Bulls 37–6.
Renouf said that his two years at Wigan were "absolutely brilliant." He wanted to stay, but the club decided not to keep him.
Life After Top-Level Rugby League
After returning to Australia, Renouf continued to play football for Easts in the Queensland Cup. He even scored a try in the 2004 Grand Final, though his team lost.
In 2006, Renouf was added to the Broncos' official Hall of Fame. He was the seventh former player to receive this honor. In 2007, the Broncos celebrated their 20th anniversary. They announced a list of their 20 best players, and Renouf was on that list.
In August 2008, Renouf was named as a centre in the Indigenous Team of the Century. This team honors the best Indigenous rugby league players from 1908 to 2007.
Hall of Fame Recognition
In August 2024, the National Rugby League announced that Steve Renouf was joining the National Rugby League Hall of Fame. He was given Hall of Fame number 119. He was one of eleven male players chosen for the 2024 group.
Steve Renouf's Career Statistics
Club Games
| Season | Team | Games Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 NSWRL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| 1990 NSWRL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 4 | 2 | – | – | 8 |
| 1991 NSWRL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 20 | 15 | – | – | 60 |
| 1992 NSWRL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 23 | 12 | – | – | 48 |
| 1993 NSWRL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 18 | 16 | – | – | 64 |
| 1994 NSWRL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 21 | 23 | – | – | 92 |
| 1995 ARL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 14 | 15 | – | – | 60 |
| 1996 ARL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 22 | 19 | – | – | 76 |
| 1997 Super League season | Brisbane Broncos | 15 | 14 | – | – | 56 |
| 1998 NRL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 26 | 20 | – | – | 80 |
| 1999 NRL Season | Brisbane Broncos | 10 | 6 | – | – | 24 |
| 2000 Challenge Cup | Wigan Warriors | 3 | 3 | – | – | 12 |
| 2000 Super League V | Wigan Warriors | 29 | 20 | – | – | 80 |
| 2001 Challenge Cup | Wigan Warriors | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| 2001 Super League VI | Wigan Warriors | 26 | 20 | – | – | 80 |
Representative Games
| Years | Team | Games Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–1994, 1996, 1998 | Queensland | 11 | 2 | – | – | 8 |
| 1997 | Queensland (Super League) | 2 | 2 | – | – | 8 |
| 1992–1994, 1998 | Australia | 10 | 11 | – | – | 44 |
| 1997 | Australia (Super League) | 1 | – | – | – | – |
Steve Renouf's Life Outside Rugby League
Living with Diabetes
When he was 23, Steve Renouf was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. He noticed he was losing weight quickly and felt very tired. After seeing a doctor, he learned he had the condition.
Renouf wants young people with diabetes to know that "diabetes is not all doom and gloom." He says, "Never think that it can stop you from achieving your goals." He believes that if you take care of your health, you can achieve anything.
Work and Family Life
Steve Renouf trained as an electrician. He has also worked in sales and marketing. He has five children: four sons and one daughter.
Today, he works as an Ambassador for the Deadly Choices program. This program helps improve health for Indigenous people. After retiring from playing, Renouf also worked as a commentator for a sports radio show.
In February 2006, a book about Renouf's life was released. It's called The Pearl: Steve Renouf's Story. The book talks about his rugby league career and his early life. It also shares how he dealt with challenges as an Aboriginal person.
