Russell Fairfax

Who is Russell Fairfax?

Russell Lance Fairfax was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach of the 1970s and 1980s.

Fairfax attended Matraville High School and played for the La Perouse and Alexandria Rovers rugby league clubs in his junior years, before joining the Randwick club to play rugby union. In the early 1970s Fairfax played in eight rugby union tests for Australia.

In 1974, the fullback joined Eastern Suburbs rugby league club and was an instant sensation in the new code. His unorthodox play and long blonde flowing locks made him a crowd favourite. Fairfax played in 115 matches for Easts and won premierships with that club in 1974 and 1975. Fairfax represented both Sydney and NSW during his career but a broken leg suffered during the height of his career in the 1975 season probably prevented him from playing for Australia also in that rugby code. During the 1976 NSWRFL season, Fairfax played at fullback in the unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge match against British champions St. Helens in Sydney.

Fairfax played the final season of his career - 1981, with the South Sydney club and went on to coach the Snowy River Bears in Group 16.