Ben Darwin
Encyclopedia
Ben Darwin is a former Australian rugby union
footballer. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Sport
scholarship program, he played 28 times for the Wallabies
, Australia’s national team, from 2001 to 2003. During this time, Darwin played games against the British and Irish Lions
and was part of the Wallabies’ 2003 Rugby World Cup
team. His usual position was tighthead prop, although on occasion he played at Loosehead too.
Darwin made his international debut for Australia in June 2001, coming off the bench against the touring Lions
in Brisbane
. He also played in the 2001 Tri Nations Series
later that year, and was capped against Spain, England
, France
and Wales
. He played in the 2002 Tri Nations Series
, as well as being capped another four times during the end of year tour. He played 11 times for Australia in 2003, and was included in the 2003 World Cup squad. It was during the Wallabies' World Cup semi-final win against the All Blacks
that Darwin sustained a neck injury that forced him to retire from rugby.
After retirement, Darwin made the switch from player to coach, starting at club rugby level with Sydney's Norths where he was appointed head coach in 2005. In 2006, Darwin was involved with the start up of the Super 14 club, the Western Force
, as the Forwards Coach until mid-2006. In 2007, Darwin was selected to be a part of the commentary team covering the 2007 Rugby World Cup
in France for the Australian television network, Channel 10. Whilst he France, Darwin was also in training for his first Iron Man
triathlon, which he completed in Port Macquarie in April 2008. He finished his second Iron Man, again at Port Macquarie, the following year.
At the beginning of June 2008, Darwin moved to Tokyo, Japan, where he served as the Forwards Coach for the Japanese Top League Rugby team, the NTT Shining Arcs, a team owned by Japanese telecommunications giant NTT. Darwin was integral to the club’s promotion from the 2nd Division Top East competition to Top League at the end of the 09/10 season.
At the beginning of 2010, Darwin married a writer/journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Shortly after, Darwin and his wife returned to Australia in order for Darwin to take up the Scrum Coach/Video Analyst position for the Melbourne Rebels
Super Rugby franchise team.
Darwin also writes regular columns on rugby matters for www.rugbyzone.com and is still in training for various triathlon competitions.
2006: Forwards Coach at the Western Force
, Perth, Australia
2008 - 2010: Forwards Coach and Video Analyst at NTT Shining Arcs, Tokyo, Japan.
2010 – current: Scrum Coach and Video Analyst/Head of IT at Melbourne Rebels
, Melbourne Australia.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
scholarship program, he played 28 times for the Wallabies
Wallabies
A wallaby is the informal name for any of about thirty species of Australian animal.Wallaby may also refer to:* Wallaby ammunition carrier, a variant of the Canadian Ram tank* Wallaby , Japanese fantasy manga...
, Australia’s national team, from 2001 to 2003. During this time, Darwin played games against the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
and was part of the Wallabies’ 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
team. His usual position was tighthead prop, although on occasion he played at Loosehead too.
Darwin made his international debut for Australia in June 2001, coming off the bench against the touring Lions
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. He also played in the 2001 Tri Nations Series
2001 Tri Nations Series
The 2001 Tri Nations Series was contested from 21 July to 1 September between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams...
later that year, and was capped against Spain, England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. He played in the 2002 Tri Nations Series
2002 Tri Nations Series
The 2002 Tri Nations Series was contested from 13 July to 17 August between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The All Blacks won the tournament.-Table:-Results:...
, as well as being capped another four times during the end of year tour. He played 11 times for Australia in 2003, and was included in the 2003 World Cup squad. It was during the Wallabies' World Cup semi-final win against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
that Darwin sustained a neck injury that forced him to retire from rugby.
After retirement, Darwin made the switch from player to coach, starting at club rugby level with Sydney's Norths where he was appointed head coach in 2005. In 2006, Darwin was involved with the start up of the Super 14 club, the Western Force
Western Force
Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
, as the Forwards Coach until mid-2006. In 2007, Darwin was selected to be a part of the commentary team covering the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in France for the Australian television network, Channel 10. Whilst he France, Darwin was also in training for his first Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
triathlon, which he completed in Port Macquarie in April 2008. He finished his second Iron Man, again at Port Macquarie, the following year.
At the beginning of June 2008, Darwin moved to Tokyo, Japan, where he served as the Forwards Coach for the Japanese Top League Rugby team, the NTT Shining Arcs, a team owned by Japanese telecommunications giant NTT. Darwin was integral to the club’s promotion from the 2nd Division Top East competition to Top League at the end of the 09/10 season.
At the beginning of 2010, Darwin married a writer/journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Shortly after, Darwin and his wife returned to Australia in order for Darwin to take up the Scrum Coach/Video Analyst position for the Melbourne Rebels
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
Super Rugby franchise team.
Darwin also writes regular columns on rugby matters for www.rugbyzone.com and is still in training for various triathlon competitions.
Coaching
2005: Head Coach at Norths, Sydney, Australia2006: Forwards Coach at the Western Force
Western Force
Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
, Perth, Australia
2008 - 2010: Forwards Coach and Video Analyst at NTT Shining Arcs, Tokyo, Japan.
2010 – current: Scrum Coach and Video Analyst/Head of IT at Melbourne Rebels
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
, Melbourne Australia.
External links
- Ben Darwin on sporting-heroes.net
- Injury Forces Ben Darwin to retire from rugby
- Sport and spinal injury - a conversation with Ben Darwin on The Sports Factor, ABC Radio NationalRadio NationalABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
broadcast 7 September 2007 (audio and transcript)