Shaun Kenny-Dowall
Encyclopedia
Shaun Kenny-Dowall is a professional rugby league
footballer for the Sydney Roosters
in the National Rugby League
competition. He primarily plays in the centres.
junior but was unwanted by the club before moving to Sydney in 2004.
and in 2007 made his National Rugby League
debut. Since then he has played in over fifty first grade games for the club. He was consistently in the first 17 and played in the wing and centre positions.
During the 2010 NRL Grand Final
, a sign was shown on television saying: How many dudes do you know flow like this? How many dudes do you know roll like this? Not many, Shaun Kenny. This referred to the Scribe
hit song Not Many
, and the fact that Kenny-Dowall was a New Zealander.
in 2006 and 2007. He was also selected for the New Zealand All Golds
to play against the Northern Union in October as part of the 2007 All Golds Tour
. He missed out on selection for New Zealand for the 2007 Baskerville Shield
Test series against the Great Britain Lions
but was selected for the test against France
due to the injury of Taniela Tuiaki
.
He was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
but was not selected. He has been announced in the 2010 Kiwis 'train on' squad for the Four Nations. Instead, Kenny-Dowall played for the New Zealand Māori which met the Indigenous Dreamtime team in a curtain-raiser to the 2008 World Cup.
Kenny-Dowall cemented his position in the centres for the Kiwis in the 2010 Rugby League Four Nations
scoring three tries including one in the final. He combined with Benji Marshall
, Jason Nightingale
and ultimately Nathan Fien to set up the series winning 79th minute try. Kenny-Dowall's fine form throughout 2010 saw him coming runner up to Marshall in the Rugby League world Golden Boot award, where he made centre in the team of the year.
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 for the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
competition. He primarily plays in the centres.
Early years
Kenny-Dowall lived in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand and went to Ngaruawahia High School until he was 16 years old and played for the Ngaruawahia Panthers. He was a New Zealand WarriorsNew Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
junior but was unwanted by the club before moving to Sydney in 2004.
Playing career
Kenny-Dowall then joined the Sydney RoostersSydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
and in 2007 made his National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
debut. Since then he has played in over fifty first grade games for the club. He was consistently in the first 17 and played in the wing and centre positions.
During the 2010 NRL Grand Final
2010 NRL Grand Final
The 2010 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2010 NRL season. Played on Sunday, 3 October at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, the match was contested by the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters. It was the first time the two sides met in a grand final. They...
, a sign was shown on television saying: How many dudes do you know flow like this? How many dudes do you know roll like this? Not many, Shaun Kenny. This referred to the Scribe
Scribe (rapper)
Malo Luafutu better known by his stage name Scribe, is a New Zealand hip hop rapper and recording artist of Samoan descent...
hit song Not Many
Not Many
"Not Many" is a hip hop single by New Zealand rapper Scribe, taken from his debut album, The Crusader. It was released as a double A-side with "Stand Up".-Background and recording:...
, and the fact that Kenny-Dowall was a New Zealander.
Representative career
Kenny-Dowall was selected for the Junior KiwisJunior Kiwis
The Junior Kiwis side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. They are not necessarily an age grade side, but the second national team behind the New Zealand national rugby league team. They are...
in 2006 and 2007. He was also selected for the New Zealand All Golds
All Golds
The All Golds could mean;*The touring party of New Zealand players in the 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain*The New Zealand national rugby league team itself*The 2007 All Golds Tour in celebration of the original tour...
to play against the Northern Union in October as part of the 2007 All Golds Tour
2007 All Golds Tour
The 2007 All Golds Tour was conducted as part of the celebrations of a century of rugby league in New Zealand. It was a re-creation of the original New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain in 1907. The New Zealand Kiwis toured Great Britain and France playing four test matches. They lost the...
. He missed out on selection for New Zealand for the 2007 Baskerville Shield
Baskerville Shield
The Baskerville Shield is a trophy awarded to the winner of rugby league test series between Great Britain and New Zealand. It named in honour of Albert Henry Baskerville, who organised the first ever tour by New Zealand of Great Britain in 1907....
Test series against the Great Britain 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"....
but was selected for the test against France
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
due to the injury of Taniela Tuiaki
Taniela Tuiaki
Taniela Tuiaki is a retired New Zealand professional rugby league player who played for the Wests Tigers in the Australian National Rugby League competition. Tuiaki was a versatile player but primarily played on the wing.-Club :Tuiaki played junior football with North Curl Curl...
.
He was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
but was not selected. He has been announced in the 2010 Kiwis 'train on' squad for the Four Nations. Instead, Kenny-Dowall played for the New Zealand Māori which met the Indigenous Dreamtime team in a curtain-raiser to the 2008 World Cup.
Kenny-Dowall cemented his position in the centres for the Kiwis in the 2010 Rugby League Four Nations
2010 Rugby League Four Nations
The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France....
scoring three tries including one in the final. He combined with Benji Marshall
Benji Marshall
Benji Marshall is a professional rugby league footballer with the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League . A goal-kicking five-eighth, he is the current captain of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations tournaments...
, Jason Nightingale
Jason Nightingale
Jason Nightingale is a professional rugby league footballer for the St. George Illawarra Dragons of the Australian National Rugby League...
and ultimately Nathan Fien to set up the series winning 79th minute try. Kenny-Dowall's fine form throughout 2010 saw him coming runner up to Marshall in the Rugby League world Golden Boot award, where he made centre in the team of the year.
Career highlights
- First Grade Debut: 2007, Round 1, Roosters v South Sydney RabbitohsSouth Sydney RabbitohsThe South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
, 19 March - First Hat-trick: 2007, Round 13, Roosters v North Queensland CowboysNorth Queensland CowboysThe North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
, 9 June – scored three tries in the Roosters 64–30 win over the Cowboys. - Representative Selection: 2007 – New Zealand All Golds v Northern Union, winning 30–22; New Zealand Kiwis v France, 17 November.
- Four Tries 2010, Roosters V Brisbane BroncosBrisbane BroncosThe Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
, 26 July – Scored 4 tries, the first Rooster to do so in 35 years. - in 2010 he scored a personal best of 20 tries in the regular season.
- In 2010 he was nominated for the Dally M Centre of the Year award. The prize was ultimately awarded to Manly's Jamie Lyon.
- In 2010 against the Wests Tigers in the Finals he scored a try in the 100th minute of extra time off an intercept to win the game for the Roosters 15–19.
- In 2010 was runner up to Benji Marshall in Rugby League World Golden Boot award. Also named in team of the year.