Jamie Ainscough
Jamie Ainscough, 2008
Personal information
Full name	James Ainscough
Born	20 July 1972 (1972-07-20) (age 37)
	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Position	Wing
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1990–1991	Western Suburbs	35	14	0	0	56
1992–1996	Newcastle Knights	87	47	4	2	198
1997–1998	St George Dragons	37	8	0	2	34
1999–2001	St. George Illawarra	69	25	2	0	104
2002–2003	Wigan Warriors	39	21	0	0	84
	Total	267	115	6	4	476
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1996–2001	New South Wales	12	2	0	0	8
1995	Australia	1	1	0	0	4
Source: NRL Stats

Jamie Ainscough (born 1972 in Sydney, New South Wales ), is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Newcastle Knights, St George Illawarra Dragons, New South Wales and for the Australian national rugby league team.

[edit] Club career

Ainscough attended Elderslie High School in New South Wales and from there represented Australia at schoolboy level in 1989. The following year he was playing first grade in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Western Suburbs Magpies. He then played 87 games with the Newcastle Knights from 1992 to 1996.

He joined St George in 1997 and played 106 games with St George or the merged St George Illawarra Dragons up till 2001 at centre or wing. He played in the losing 1999 Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm. The Dragons led 14- nil at half time and were run down by the Storm. He is infamous for the illegal tackle he made on Craig Smith that cost the Dragons the game.

Ainscough concluded his career in England with Super League side Wigan Warriors in 2002 when they won the Challenge Cup. He played in a Wigan team studded with Australians in Brett Dallas, Julian O'Neill, Adrian Lam, Craig Smith, David Furner and coached by Stuart Raper. Following that season he went close to needing to have his arm amputated following an infection that was found to have been caused after one of St. Helens centre Martin Gleeson's teeth was left embedded in Ainscough's arm.

[edit] Representative career

While attending Elderslie High School, Ainscough played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1989^[1]

He represented the NSW Blues in nine State of Origin games between 1996 and 2001 (three as a replacement). He made one international appearance for Australia against New Zealand in the 3rd Test of 1995 Brisbane. In that game Ainscough came on as a replacement and scored a try. Josh Wiggins was his first ever coach and taught him how to play football. Jamie was originally going to join a soccer club.

[edit] References

[edit] External Links

• Jamie Ainscough Wigan Career Page on the CherryandWhite.co.uk Wigan RL Fansite.

[edit] Sources

• Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
• Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney
• State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats