Marist Rugby Canberra

Jon McGrath

Jon McGrath

Jon started his rugby at Marist in year 4 and was a member of the Marist 1st XV in 1997 & 1998 – playing ACT and Australia A Schoolboys in 1998. 
 
After school, Jon was selected in the Australian under 19’s (runner up at the IRB World Championships in France) and was contracted to the ACT Brumbies before giving rugby away in 2002 after a total of 11 knee/shoulder surgeries in 3 years.
 
Jon returned to rugby in 2005 with the Canberra Vikings to earn ‘Best Back’ & ‘Player of the Year’ awards that season. He then moved to Sydney to play for Northern Suburbs, followed by professional contracts with the Western Force in Perth, the inaugural Melbourne Rebels (runner up Australian Rugby Championships) and also Australian Sevens.Jon now lives in Canberra with his wife Jess and two children (Millie and Albert), working in finance as a Director at JBWere and a Director of health tech company Pitch Ready. 

Tetera Faulkner

Tetera Faulkner

Tetera Faulkner currently represents the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition. His regular playing position is prop.

Faulkner was born in Tauranga, New Zealand and lived his early years at Te Puna in the Bay of Plenty. At 12 years of age, he moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia. He played his junior rugby at Moorabbin Rams and played age-group representative rugby for Victoria. Faulkner attended Cheltenham Secondary College in Melbourne before transferring to Marist College Canberra. He played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2006.

Faulkner represented Australia at the IRB Under 19 Rugby World Championship in Ireland in 2007. He represented Australia at Under 20 level at the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship in Wales in 2008

Phoenix Battye

Phoenix Battye

Phoenix Battye is an Australian rugby union player. He currently plays in the French Top 14 competition but started his professional career with the Western Force.His usual position is lock.

Off the field, Battye has a passion for the arts, with his portrait Battye Blue appearing on the National Portrait Gallery’s website.

In early 2012, Battye upgraded from a rookie to professional contract with the Western Force Super Rugby club. Battye made his Super Rugby debut on 3 March 2012 against the Queensland Reds.

After three seasons playing for the Western Force, Battye joined French side Béziers prior to the 2014–15 Rugby Pro D2 season.

Toby L’Estrange

Toby L’Estrange

Toby L’Estrange is an Australian-American former rugby union player who played flyhalf for London Welsh and for the United States Eagles.

L’Estrange was supposed to join the U.S. team for the June 2012 tests, but was unable to join the team at that time due to a broken arm. L’Estrange made his debut for the U.S. on November 9, 2012 against Russia, scoring a try in a 40–26 victory for the U.S. L’Estrange started all three matches for the U.S. at flyhalf during the November 2013 tests.

In February 2014 he signed with RFU Championship side London Welsh. L’Estrange appeared five times for the Welsh but sustained a fractured leg and was subsequently released at the end of the season.

As of 2021, L’estrange currently teaches at Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview, working in boarding and in the science faculty.

Michael Hodge

Michael Hodge

Michael Hodge is a former rugby union player. His regular playing position was either wing or centre. He has represented Australia national rugby sevens team and was named in the Waratahs squad ahead of the 2013 Super Rugby season. Having accepted a position as Head Coach for the Dallas Texas USA based Major League Rugby (MLR) franchise the Dallas Jackals in the Spring of 2021, Michael chose to remain in Australia in December 2021 instead.

Tim Cornforth

Tim Cornforth

Tim attended Marist College Canberra from 1997-2002, in 2007 he begun playing Australian Rugby Sevens through to 2011, he then moved to New Zealand to play with the Southland Stags until 2014.  In 2015 he opened his own business, Niche Power and Performance which he is still the Owner and Director. 2017 saw Tim Head Coach and Rugby Director for a First Grade Club in the John I Dent Cup competition for the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby Union Football Club and in 2022  Tim became the Assistant Coach for the Brumbies Women’s team.

Tom Cusack

Tom Cusack

Tom Cusack a former Marist College Students who graduated in 2011. A former member of the ARU National Gold Squad, the ARU’s national Rugby development program for high school students, he showed a talent for rugby at an early age. Cusack was selected for Australian Schoolboys rugby team in 2010. Cusack made his Super Rugby debut for the Brumbies against the Melbourne Rebels in April 2017. In 2019, he signed on until the end of the 2021 season in a dual contract with the Australian Sevens. In the 2020 Super Rugby season, he was named vice-captain of the Brumbies.

Joe Powell

Joe Powell

Joe Powell is an Australian rugby union player who currently plays scrum-half for the London Irish, in the English Premiership. He is also a member of the Brumbies extended playing squad, making his first appearances for the franchise during the 2015 Super Rugby Season at the age of 21. While Powell attended Marist College he was a member of the Australian Schoolboys shadow squad in 2012 and was part of the Australian under 20 side which competed in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship in New Zealand. In 2016, he was selected in the 39-man Australian squad for the Test series against England. Powell was the starting scrumhalf in the Brumbies 28-23 grand final victory over the Queensland Reds to claim the 2020 Super Rugby AU title.

Jeremy Austin

Jeremy Austin

Jeremy came to Marist College in 1989 from Padua College with no experience playing Rugby at all. Started in the 3rd XV and quickly progressed to the 2nd XV and stayed there for 1989 and 1990. In 1991 was selected in the 1st XV and played in the #13 jersey for the entire year.
 
From school he was selected in the first grade side at the Tuggeranong Vikings side and represented the ACT U21’s for two years, the ACT Griffins and the ACT senior side. He moved from grade rugby to the NSW Shute Shield with the Canberra Kookaburras/Canberra Vikings playing over 70 first grade games and was rewarded with a spot on the ACT Brumbies tour to the UK in 1997.
 
He was part of the Brumbies setup from 1997-1999 and captained the Brumby Runners on numerous occasions. He moved to Queensland at the end of 1999 to the Gold Coast Breakers and was rewarded with selection in the Queensland Reds in 2002. Ho moved to London at the end of 2002 and played for the Henley Hawks in the National 1 competition and London Wasps in 2002/3 and 2003/4 seasons.
 
He currently lives on the Gold Coast and commentates on rugby on Stan Sport every weekend for the Queensland Premier Competition.

Phil Thomson

Phil Thomson

Phil represented the College First XV in 1978 and 1979. In those two years the team were undefeated except for one match including a five-match undefeated tour of New Zealand. He was an ACT junior representative at all levels and played for the ACT Schoolboys in 1978 and 1979. Phil also represented NSW U18 and the Australian Schoolboys in 1979. In 1980 Phil made his debut for the ACT senior rugby side and in 1981 was selected for the Australian U21 side. Phil has had wide ranging involvement with rugby through his playing days and now professionally. Highlights of his career include becoming the inaugural ACT Brumbies Team Manager in 1996, being appointed Team Manager for the Wallabies from 2001 to 2010 and establishing all of the Australian Rugby Union integrity programs. In 2018 Phil commenced as ACT Brumbies and CEO and continues in that role today.