Jamie Ainscough
Encyclopedia
Jamie Ainscough is an Australian former professional rugby league
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Western Suburbs Magpies
, Newcastle Knights
, St George Illawarra Dragons
, New South Wales
and for the Australian national rugby league team
.
.
Ainscough attended Elderslie
High School in New South Wales and from there represented Australia at schoolboy
level in 1989. The following year he was playing first grade in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
for the Western Suburbs Magpies
. He then played 87 games with the Newcastle Knights
from 1992 to 1996.
He joined St George in 1997 and played 106 games with St George or the merged St George Illawarra Dragons
up until 2001 at centre or wing. He played in the losing 1999 Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm
. The Dragons led 14- nil at half time and were run down by the Storm. He is infamous for the illegal tackle he made on Craig Smith that cost the Dragons the premiership.
Ainscough concluded his career in England with Super League side Wigan Warriors
in 2002 when they won the Challenge Cup. He played in a Wigan team studded with Australians in Brett Dallas
, Julian O'Neill
, Adrian Lam
, Craig Smith
, David Furner
and coached by Stuart Raper
. Following that season he went close to needing to have his arm amputated following an infection that was found to have been caused after one of St. Helens centre Martin Gleeson
's teeth was left embedded in Ainscough's arm.
He represented the NSW Blues
in twelve State of Origin
games between 1996 and 2001 (three as a replacement). He made one international appearance for Australia
against New Zealand
in the 3rd Test of 1995 Brisbane. In that game Ainscough came on as a replacement and scored a try.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
, Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
, St George Illawarra Dragons
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the...
, New South Wales
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
and for the Australian national rugby league team
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
.
Club career
Before 1989 Ainscough played for the Macquarie Cobras J.R.L.F.C in Cartwright, New South WalesCartwright, New South Wales
Cartwright is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cartwright is located 38 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Liverpool.- Geography :...
.
Ainscough attended Elderslie
Elderslie, New South Wales
Elderslie is a suburb of the Macarthur Region of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia in Camden Council. In addition, it is located on the east side of the Nepean River...
High School in New South Wales and from there represented Australia at schoolboy
Australian schoolboys
The Australian Schoolboys refer to junior teams that represent Australia in various sports. The name is mainly used in rugby league, rugby union and baseball...
level in 1989. The following year he was playing first grade in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
for the Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
. He then played 87 games with the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
from 1992 to 1996.
He joined St George in 1997 and played 106 games with St George or the merged St George Illawarra Dragons
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the...
up until 2001 at centre or wing. He played in the losing 1999 Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
. The Dragons led 14- nil at half time and were run down by the Storm. He is infamous for the illegal tackle he made on Craig Smith that cost the Dragons the premiership.
Ainscough concluded his career in England with Super League side Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
in 2002 when they won the Challenge Cup. He played in a Wigan team studded with Australians in Brett Dallas
Brett Dallas
Brett Dallas is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative winger, his club career included stints with both Canterbury and North Sydney in Australia's domestic competition, and the Wigan Warriors...
, Julian O'Neill
Julian O'Neill
O'Neill then played at fullback in all three games of the 1994 State of Origin series under coach Wally Lewis. During the 1994 NSWRL season, O'Neill played at lock forward for defending premiers Brisbane when they hosted British champions Wigan for the 1994 World Club Challenge. In 1994 and 1995...
, Adrian Lam
Adrian Lam
Adrian Lam is an Australian rugby league football coach and former international player. He is the head coach of the under 20 St George Dragons squad National Rugby League team he signed with them in 2010 and will combine with coaching legend Wayne Bennett.He is a former Papua New Guinea rugby...
, Craig Smith
Craig Smith
Craig Smith is an American professional basketball player who was most recently member of the Los Angeles Clippers...
, David Furner
David Furner
David Furner is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Canberra Raiders of the NRL...
and coached by Stuart Raper
Stuart Raper
Stuart Raper is an Australian former professional rugby league player and coach. He has since become a sideline commentator for the NRL with Foxsports...
. Following that season he went close to needing to have his arm amputated following an infection that was found to have been caused after one of St. Helens centre Martin Gleeson
Martin Gleeson
Martin Gleeson is an English professional rugby league footballer, who plays for Hull in the Super League. A Great Britain and England international representative , and /, he previously played for Wigan Warriors, Huddersfield Giants, St. Helens and Warrington...
's teeth was left embedded in Ainscough's arm.
Representative career
While attending Elderslie High School, Ainscough played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1989He represented the NSW Blues
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
in twelve State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
games between 1996 and 2001 (three as a replacement). He made one international appearance for Australia
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
against New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
in the 3rd Test of 1995 Brisbane. In that game Ainscough came on as a replacement and scored a try.
External links
- Jamie Ainscough Wigan Career Page on the Wigan RL Fansite.
Sources
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
- Whiticker, AlanAlan WhitickerAlan J. Whiticker is an Australian non-fiction author with currently over 30 published books.Whiticker writes primarily on matters pertaining to the history of the sport of rugby league in Australia, but has also published works on subjects as diverse as the Wanda Beach Murders and an adaptation...
& Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney - State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats