Brent Cockbain
Encyclopedia
Brent John Cockbain is a rugby union
player who played lock for Sale Sharks
in the English
Guinness Premiership
, and has won 20 caps for Wales
.
having played international rugby for Australia
, Brent decided to emigrate to the UK. Cockbain (height 6 feet 8 inches / 2.03 m, weight 18 stone 5 lb / 117 kg) played club rugby for London Irish
, then came to Wales in 1999 to join Pontypridd RFC
. With the advent of the regional sides in 2003, he played for the Celtic Warriors
, then when the Warriors were broken up signed for the Ospreys in 2004.
In the 2004–05 season he helped the Ospreys win the Celtic League
and Wales win the Grand Slam
, scoring his first and only international try against Italy
.
Cockbain returned from injury to club rugby with the Ospreys, but missed Wales' 2006 Autumn Internationals due to a injury. On 3 December 2007, Cockbain signed for the English Premiership side Sale Sharks on a 2½ year contract.
Cockbain retired from competitive sport in June 2010.
at Wrexham
on 27 August 2003, a match which Wales won 54–8. This match also saw Mike Ruddock
take charge of the side for the first time, albeit only for the one game. He went on to start in four of Wales' matches in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
. In the 2004–05 season he helped Wales win the Grand Slam
, scoring his first international try against Italy
. He was flown out to join the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
as a late replacement after Danny Grewcock
had been banned for biting.
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...
player who played lock for Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
, and has won 20 caps for 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...
.
Club career
Although born in Australia, and with his brother Matt CockbainMatt Cockbain
Matt Cockbain is an Australian rugby union footballer. He played over 60 times for the national team, the Wallabies. He made his debut for Australia in 1997 in Brisbane, in a Test match against France....
having played international rugby for Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, Brent decided to emigrate to the UK. Cockbain (height 6 feet 8 inches / 2.03 m, weight 18 stone 5 lb / 117 kg) played club rugby for London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
, then came to Wales in 1999 to join Pontypridd RFC
Pontypridd RFC
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....
. With the advent of the regional sides in 2003, he played for the Celtic Warriors
Celtic Warriors
The Celtic Warriors were a regional rugby union team from Wales, who played in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup between 2003 and 2004.-History:The Warriors were one of the five original regions of the Welsh Regional Rugby Era...
, then when the Warriors were broken up signed for the Ospreys in 2004.
In the 2004–05 season he helped the Ospreys win the Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
and Wales win the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
, scoring his first and only international try against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
.
Cockbain returned from injury to club rugby with the Ospreys, but missed Wales' 2006 Autumn Internationals due to a injury. On 3 December 2007, Cockbain signed for the English Premiership side Sale Sharks on a 2½ year contract.
Cockbain retired from competitive sport in June 2010.
International career
Cockbain represented Australia at Under 19 and Under 21 level, but qualified for Wales under the residency rule and made his debut against RomaniaRomania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
at Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
on 27 August 2003, a match which Wales won 54–8. This match also saw Mike Ruddock
Mike Ruddock
Mike Ruddock, OBE is a Welsh rugby union coach, currently coach of the Ireland Under-20 Rugby Union Team and Lansdowne FC . Ruddock was the coach of the Worcester Warriors until his resignation on 28 April 2010 following their relegation from the Guinness Premiership...
take charge of the side for the first time, albeit only for the one game. He went on to start in four of Wales' matches in the 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...
. In the 2004–05 season he helped Wales win the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
, scoring his first international try against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
. He was flown out to join the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
as a late replacement after Danny Grewcock
Danny Grewcock
Daniel Jonathan Grewcock MBE is a retired English rugby union rugby lock who played for Bath, England and the British and Irish Lions...
had been banned for biting.