Benn Robinson - Career

Career

Robinson was educated at the King's School where he played for their First XV, and went onto play for the Australian Schoolboys. He was included in the Wallabies' squad in 2006 where he made his debut against South Africa in Johannesburg. Robinson made his provincial debut for the New South Wales Waratahs during 2005, as well as that year, playing for Australia at the IRB under-21 World Championships in Argentina, in which he played in every match. After strong performances for the Waratahs during the off season, he made his Super rugby debut against the Queensland Reds.

2006 became a ground breaking year for Robinson. He played in all 14 games for Waratahs as well as making a debut for the Wallabies against South Africa in the TriNations.

Now Australia’s fifth most capped Test prop, Robinson is a true technician at the scrum, Robinson also has fantastic ball skills and he continues to add to his attacking game.

In 2011 Robinson's Rugby World Cup aspirations were dealt a cruel blow when he was ruled of the tournament with a season-ending knee injury. The blow was cruel luck for the popular 27-year-old, who had provided the Qantas Wallabies scrum with stability through much of the three seasons leading up to last year’s Rugby World Cup. Despite having now had the misfortune to miss two World Cups since his Test debut in 2006, Robinson still lies only eight short of becoming just the third Australian prop to have made 50 appearances in Tests.

His most recent Test appearance, which saw him score his second Test try when Australia crushed France 59-16 in Paris at the end of 2010, allowed him to go beyond former World Cup-winning prop Tony Daly as the fifth most capped prop for the Wallabies.

Despite the injury disruption that has plagued the last two seasons of his career, Robinson had still appeared in 36 out of the 43 Tests during the first three years of Robbie Deans’s charge as Wallabies coach, which highlighted his importance to the team. One of the best loosehead technicians in the international game, Robinson’s value to the Wallabies was recognized when in 2009 he became just the second winner of the People’s Choice – Wallaby of the Year award, at the John Eales Medal awards night. This award is voted on by the Australian public.

Answering to the nickname ‘Cat’, which is a play on the ‘Fat Cat’ nickname which was bestowed on former Australian Test cricketer Greg Ritchie, Robinson has been utilized in various television media roles at different stages to date during his career. While sidelined with injury last year, he acted as an experts comments man for terrestrial broadcaster Channel Nine, during the key matches of the Rugby World Cup.

With 91 state caps, all for NSW, Robinson is the equal 9th most capped player in the state's history, and the third most-capped prop behind All Baxter (121) and Matt Dunning (99).

In 2012, Robinson became the 163rd player to captain NSW, leading the side out for clashes with the Sharks and Chiefs.