Martin Clive Roebuck
- 59Age
- 23Caps
- 696Wallaby Number
Biography
Marty Roebuck was one of Australia’s most versatile and talented fullbacks. A safe as houses custodian, Roebuck was a copybook tackler and handled the highball with great aplomb.
Born in Lithgow and educated at St. Stanislaus School in Bathurst, Roebuck had one season with the Bathurst Bulldogs before he left for Sydney to study physiotherapy and joined the Eastwood Rugby Club.
His first taste of international rugby was for the Australian U21s on their 1985 tour of the South Pacific.
In 1988 he made his debut for New South Wales against New Zealand in Sydney but it was his performance against the British Lions in 1989 when he scored all 21 points in the state’s 21-23 loss that caught the eye of the national selectors. As a consequence he was picked in the Wallaby squad for the end-of-season tour to Canada and France although he did not play in either of the Tests.
1990 was lost to an ankle injury however Roebuck returned strongly in 1991, scored 23 points in NSW’s 71-8 demolition of Wales, and earned a Test debut against the Welshmen at Ballymore.
Roebuck then went on to play a vital role in the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup victory.
Marty Roebuck played 23 Tests, all in the run-on XV, and scored 114 points in his three year international career.
Highlights
1985
Represented Australian U21s against New Zealand Colts, Western Samoa U21s, Tonga U21s and Fiji U21s.
1991
Roebuck won his first Test cap as the starting fullback in the 63-6 defeat of Wales in Brisbane. He scored his first Test try to become the 70th Wallaby to score a Test try on debut. Roebuck was selected to his first Rugby World Cup and played in all six Australian matches. He started at No.15 in all 10 Wallaby Tests of 1991.
1992
Roebuck played seven Tests, all at No.15, and only missed the 1st Test against New Zealand after a head clash with Frank Bunce in the New South Wales tour match.
1993
He earned a further six caps from the eight Wallaby internationals of 1993. Roebuck became just the fourth Australian to score 100 career Test match points in the 1st Test against France in Bordeaux.
