Peter Clive Grigg

Peter Grigg was a strong finishing winger, a great cover defender and a team man through and through. Loyal to the last, Grigg had a work ethic that was bred in him. Mark Ella once paid Grigg the highest of compliments when he said that Grigg’s determination was almost in the Poidevin class. Grigg could well have been a surveyor as he knew only one way to the try line, a straight line.

Born in Herberton on Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands, Grigg had only played rugby league prior to moving to Townsville. He eventually stayed with rugby because it was played on Saturdays and as such he had an extra day to recover before work on Mondays. Grigg’s introduction to representative football was rather unique.

In 1978 he played four matches against the touring Junior All Blacks. Grigg’s performances were in the first two matches were so impressive that he was rushed in to the Queensland side for his state debut against the visitors. Two years later he was in the Queensland team that beat New Zealand 9-3 and from there he was rewarded with a Test debut in Sydney.

Grigg celebrated his entry into the Test arena in style. With just six minutes on the clock Grigg, on the fly, received the ball from Roger Gould some 40 metres out from the New Zealand tryline. As he approached the quarter line Grigg chipped over the covering defender, raced through, collected the ball on the first bounce and scored in the corner. Australia won 26-10 and wrapped up the series 2-1 to retain the Bledisloe Cup.

Grigg would then be involved in several key Australian victories, notably on the ‘Grand Slam’ tour of 1984 and the Bledisloe Cup win in 1986. Peter Grigg played 25 Tests for Australia in his eight-year international career.

Highlights

1980

Grigg won his first Test cap on the right wing in the 3rd Test, 26-10 victory over New Zealand at the S.C.G. He scored two tries to become the 53rd Wallaby to score a try on debut.

1982

Grigg missed the first two Tests of the season against England and Scotland but returned on the right wing for the final four matches, the 2nd Test 33-9 win over Scotland and the three Test Bledisloe Cup series with New Zealand.

1983

David Campese played on the right wing against the U.S.A. and the 1st Test against Argentina but returned to the team after Gould was not considered for the 2nd Test against Argentina due to a recurring thigh injury. Campese moved to No.15 and Grigg came in on the right wing for the Argentine match and the one-off Test against New Zealand.

1984

He started the opening Test of the season against Fiji but lost his position upon Gould’s return for the Bledisloe Cup series and Campese’s subsequent shift to the right wing. Grigg went on the Eighth Wallaby tour to the U.K. and played right wing in the final two Tests against Wales and Scotland.

1985

Grigg started all five Wallaby internationals and finished the season as the equal top try scorer (5) with Matthew Burke.

1986

He won four caps, two in the home series with Argentina and two in the 1st and 2nd Tests away to New Zealand.

1987

In his final season of international rugby Grigg was capped against South Korea and won selection to the inaugural Rugby World Cup. He played right wing in five of Australia’s six matches.