Leroy Donald Houston

The story of Leroy Houston is one of great persistence.

A hard running back-rower with a stellar aged representative CV, Houston won selection as a bright-eyed 18-year old in the 2005 Wallabies Spring Tour squad. His only game on that tour was in the non-capped fixture against the French Barbarians at Bordeaux.

Houston then took some time off from rugby before he signed with the Queensland Reds for the 2008 Super Rugby season and won the Rookie of the Year Award. In 2011, after three seasons, 46 caps and a Super Rugby title, Houston left Australia to join French Top 14 club Union Bordeaux Bègles. After spending two seasons in France he signed with English Premiership side Bath Rugby for the 2013/2014 season where he played for three consecutive years.

In 2016 a phone call from Australian national coach Michael Cheika changed it all for Leroy Houston. Despite having not played rugby in Australia for five seasons Cheika named Houston in the Wallabies’ preliminary 39-man squad for the three Test home series against England. Houston was then picked in the Rugby Championship squad where, more than 11 years after that French Barbarians game, he won his first and only Test cap against Argentina at Twickenham.

Highlights

2004

Represented Australia at the inaugural IRB U19s World Championship in South Africa. 

2005

Selected in the Australian squad for the second-annual IRB U19s World Championship tournament in South Africa. Selected in the Australian squad for the fourth-annual IRB U21s World Championship tournament in Argentina. 

2006

Selected in the Australian squad for the fifth-annual IRB U21 Rugby World Championships tournament in France. 

2016

Houston won his first Test cap off the bench when he replaced Lopeti Timani at No.8 in the 33-21 win over Argentina at Twickenham.