Tony Townsend (7 April 1961 – 23 August 2022) was a former professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played for the

St. George Dragons The St. George Dragons are an Australian rugby league, rugby league football club from the St George, Sydney, St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales Rugby League, New South Wales competition ...

from 1985 to 1987 and then he was part of the inaugural

Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top-tier competition in New ...

squad from 1988 to 1990.

Playing career

Townsend made his first grade debut for St George in Round 13 1985 against North Sydney at

North Sydney Oval North Sydney Oval (Also known as “Bear Park” by North Sydney Bears fans) is a multi-use sporting facility in Miller Street, North Sydney, Australia, owned and operated by North Sydney Council. First used as a cricket ground in 1867, it is ...

. Townsend played 7 games for St George that season as the club won the minor premiership. Townsend did not for the club in any of its finals games or the grand final loss against Canterbury-Bankstown. In 1988, Townsend signed with Newcastle and played in the club's first ever game against Parramatta. Townsend played for Newcastle up until the end of the 1990 season before retiring.

Death

Townsend died on 23 August 2022, at the age of 61.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Tony Australian rugby league players Newcastle Knights players St. George Dragons players Living people Rugby league hookers 1961 births Rugby league players from Sydney 20th-century Australian sportsmen