Robert Andrew Simmons

Theodore, a small Queensland farming district west of Bundaberg and in the Shire of Banana, has produced two sportspersons of note - Mal Anderson, who won tennis’ U.S. Open in 1957, and Wallaby centurion Rob Simmons.

Educated at The Southport School, Simmons followed in the footsteps of his schoolboy hero and fellow alumni Nathan Sharpe to earn Queensland Reds and Wallabies representation.

A lineout general and a consistent tight five performer, Simmons was a member of the star-studded and championship-winning 2006 Southport School 1st XV alongside fellow future Wallaby prop James Slipper. He represented Australia at both schools and aged levels before his 2009 Queensland debuting for Queensland against the Bulls in 2009.

In 2010, Simmons came off the bench to play his maiden Test, alongside Sharpe, against South Africa in Brisbane and four years on he became the 46th Wallaby to play 50 Test matches. Simmons joined the NSW Waratahs ahead of the 2018 Super Rugby season and found a new lease of life, regaining some of his finest form to put him in firm contention in a heated second row selection battle.

Throughout the course of his eleven-year international career, Simmons only played in ten or more consecutive Tests on three occasions. Nathan Sharpe, James Horwill, Will Skelton, Kane Douglas, Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold and Izack Rodda joined Simmonds in a highly competitive race for the locking positions during that period. Notably, excluding Sharpe who was in the twilight of his own decorated career, the lone constant throughout the 2010’s decade was R.A. Simmons.

In 2019, and at his third Rugby World Cup, Simmons became the 11th Wallaby, and just the second lock after Sharpe, to play 100 Test matches when he ran on in the pool match against Georgia at Fukuroi City.

Highlights

2006 Represented Australian Schools against Tongan Schools, Fijian Schools and New Zealand Schools.

2007 Selected in the Australian squad for the IRB U19s World Championships in Ireland.

2008 Selected in the Australian squad for the inaugural IRB U20s World Championships in Wales.

2009 Selected in the Australian squad U20s for the second-annual IRB Junior World Championships in Japan.

2010 Simmons won his first Test cap off the bench when he replaced Dean Mumm and in doing so partnered Nathan Sharpe in the 30-13, 1st Test win over South Africa in Brisbane. Simmons won a further three replacement caps before he was selected for the end-of-season Spring Tour. He earned his first run-on cap in the 32-14 victory at Firenze and added a second the following week in the record breaking 59-16 thumping of France in Paris.

2011 Simmons played in 10 of the season’s 13 internationals and won selection to his first Rugby World Cup.

2012 He earned seven Test caps from the 15 internationals played by the Wallabies amid a three-way struggle with Sitaleki Timani and Kane Douglas to partner Sharpe in the lock position on a permanent basis.

2013 Simmons won a career high 14 Test caps, the final 11 of which came in the run-on XV.

2014 He started in 13 internationals and only missed the 2nd Test against Argentina in Mendoza. Simmons won his 50th Test cap in the season’s final match against England at Twickenham.

2015 Simmons won 10 Test caps from a possible 12 starts and was selected to his second Rugby World Cup. He scored the tournament’s fastest try when he intercepted an inside pass from fly-half Nicolas Sanchez, ran thirty metres and touched down after just 68 seconds in the 29-15 semi-final win over Argentina.

2016 Simmons earned 11 Test caps, eight of which were awarded in the starting XV.

2017 He missed selection for the June Test window but bounced back to play in the final 11 internationals of the season.

2018 Simmons picked up 12 caps from the Wallabies 13 Tests. Throughout the year Adam Coleman and Izack Rodda were the preferred starting locks and as a consequence 11 of Simmons’ caps came as an ever-reliable replacement.

2019 Simmons earned six Test caps and was chosen for his third Rugby World Cup where, in the pool match victory over Georgia, he came off the bench to win his 100th Test cap.

2020 In his final season of international rugby, Simmons played in each of the six Wallaby Tests. He started in the each of the final three matches – the 24-22 win over New Zealand in Brisbane, and the two drawn fixtures against Argentina.