Alister Munro Campbell

Alister Campbell was a towering lock from the great rugby nursery of St. Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill who bucked the more modern-day, conventional route to win Wallaby colours. Born in Newcastle, Campbell captained the SJC 1st XV in 1997 and from there won selection in the Australian Schools’ squad for the Test against New Zealand Schools. Instead of signing a Super Rugby contract or moving on to aged representation, Campbell chose to study and travel.

He graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney, with a Bachelor of Property Economics and although he was a core component of the University of Sydney’s successful Shute Shield team of that era Campbell did not make his provincial debut, for New South Wales, until 2004. Before the end of that year Campbell found himself in the Wallabies’ Spring Tour squad. A move to the ACT Brumbies in 2005 paid an almost immediate dividend when he was selected to make his Test debut against France in Brisbane.

In 2006, Campbell was not selected for the domestic Test season but won a place on a third successive Spring Tour. On that tour he was honoured with the captaincy in the uncapped match against Ireland ‘A’.

Campbell spurned near-certain selection to the 2007 Rugby World Cup when he took the opportunity to broaden his rugby horizons and accept an offer to join Montpellier in France’s Top 14.

Highlights

2005

Campbell won his first Test cap off the bench when he replaced Nathan Sharpe at lock in the 37-31 victory over France at Suncorp.

2006

Campbell earned a further three caps in 2006, all of them on the end-of-season Spring Tour. His first starting cap came in his final Test when selected at lock in the 44-15 win against Scotland at Murrayfield.