George Fairbairn (rugby)

George Fairbairn
Personal information
Full nameGeorge Alexander Fairbairn[1]
Born (1954-07-25) 25 July 1954 (age 70)
Peebles, Scottish Borders, Scotland
Playing information
Rugby union
PositionFull back
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
197?–74 Kelso
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
197?–7? Borders
Rugby league
PositionFullback, Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1974–81 Wigan 204+3 30 583 11 1267
1981–89 Hull KR 269 49 549 19 1290
Total 476 79 1132 30 2557
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1975–81 England 15 3 43 1 96
1977–82 Great Britain 17 1 44 0 91
1977–82 Lancashire 2 0 7 0 14
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1980–81 Wigan 34 23 3 8 68
1991–94 Hull Kingston Rovers 97 34 1 62 35
1994–95 Huddersfield 48 27 3 18 56
Total 179 84 7 88 47
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1995–97 Scotland
Source: [2][3][4]

George Fairbairn (born 25 July 1954) is a Scottish former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached rugby league in the 1980s and 1990s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Borders, and at club level for Kelso RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wigan, winning the Man of Steel Award in 1980, and Hull Kingston Rovers, as a goal-kicking fullback,[2] and coached at representative level rugby league for Scotland, and at club level Wigan, Hull Kingston Rovers, and Huddersfield.[3]

Fairbairn retired as England's top point scorer in test football.[5] In September 2012, he was named in Hull Kingston Rovers' greatest ever team.[6]

  1. ^ Morris, Graham (2005). Wigan Rugby League Football Club: 100 Greats. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-7524-3470-4.
  2. ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Player Summary: George Fairbairn". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  5. ^ Willacy, Gavin (26 October 2012). "The Borders full-back who moved south to take rugby league by storm". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Fairbairn named as greatest ever fullback". Hull Kingston Rovers RLFC. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2013.