View source for Adrian Vowles

{{short description|Scotland international rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Adrian Vowles
|fullname       = 
|image          = 
|caption        = 
|birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1971|5|30|df=yes}}
|birth_place    = [[Charleville, Queensland|Charleville]], [[Queensland, Australia]]
|height         = {{convert|177|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight         = {{convert|83|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|position       = {{rlp|LK|CE}}
|club1          = [[Gold Coast Chargers|Gold Coast Seagulls]]
|year1start     = 1993
|year1end       = 94 
|appearances1   = 38
|tries1         = 6
|goals1         = 7
|fieldgoals1    = 0
|points1        = 38
|club2          = [[North Queensland Cowboys|North Qld Cowboys]]
|year2start     = 1995
|year2end       = 96
|appearances2   = 41
|tries2         = 5
|goals2         = 5
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 30
|club3          = [[Castleford Tigers]]
|year3start     = 1997
|year3end       = 01 
|appearances3   = 142
|tries3         = 33
|goals3         = 1
|fieldgoals3    = 1
|points3        = 135
|club4          = [[Leeds Rhinos]]
|year4start     = 2002
|year4end       = 
|appearances4   = 17
|tries4         = 2
|goals4         = 0
|fieldgoals4    = 0
|points4        = 8
|club5          = {{nowrap|[[Wakefield Trinity|Wakefield Trinity Wildcats]]}}
|year5start     = 2002
|year5end       = 03 
|appearances5   = 27
|tries5         = 6
|goals5         = 1
|fieldgoals5    = 0
|points5        = 26
|club6          = [[Castleford Tigers]]
|year6start     = 2003
|year6end       = 05
|appearances6   = 6
|tries6         = 0
|goals6         = 0
|fieldgoals6    = 0
|points6        = 0
|teamA          = [[Queensland state rugby league team|Queensland]]
|yearAstart     = 1994
|yearAend       = 
|appearancesA   = 1
|triesA         = 0
|goalsA         = 0
|fieldgoalsA    = 0
|pointsA        = 0
|teamB          = [[Scotland national rugby league team|Scotland]]
|yearBstart     = 2000
|yearBend       = 
|appearancesB   = 4
|triesB         = 1
|goalsB         = 0
|fieldgoalsB    = 0 
|pointsB        = 4
|retired        = yes
|source         =  <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/adrian-vowles/summary.html|title= Adrian Vowles - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=2019-12-10}}</ref>
|updated        = 10 December 2019
}}

'''Adrian Vowles''' (born 30 May 1971) is a former professional [[Scotland national rugby league team|Scotland]] international [[rugby league]] footballer who played as a {{rlp|lf}} or {{rlp|ce}} in the 1990s and 2000s. He played in Australia for several years, gaining [[Rugby League State of Origin|State of Origin]] selection in 1994, but spent the majority of his career in the [[Super League]].

==Background==
Born in [[Cunnamulla, Queensland]], Vowles played his junior rugby league for the Cunnamulla Rams and for Charleville All Whites and Railways when he and his family moved there in 1982.

==Playing career==
In Charleville, Vowles won two premierships with the All Whites club, before changing clubs and winning a premiership with Charleville Railways in 1988. In 1989 he moved to the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]], playing for the [[Tweed Heads Seagulls]]. In 1990 while playing for a Gold Coast under-21 representative side, he earned a reserve grade trial with the [[Gold Coast Seagulls]], later signing with the club.<ref name="nrl.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/11/13/legend-qa-adrian-vowles/|title=Legend Q&A: Adrian Vowles|website=NRL.com|date=12 November 2019 }}</ref>

===Gold Coast Seagulls===
In Round 1 of the [[1993 NSWRL season]], Vowles made his first grade debut in the Seagulls' 10–14 loss to the [[Western Suburbs Magpies]]. After starting the first four games of the season off the bench, Vowles became one of the club's starting centres, playing 21 games. At the end of the season, he was named the club's Player of the Year.<ref name="nrl.com"/>

In 1994, Vowles continued his good form and was selected for [[Queensland Maroons|Queensland]] in Game II of that year's [[1994 State of Origin series|series]]. He came off the bench in Queensland's 0–14 loss to [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]].

===North Queensland Cowboys===
In 1995, Vowles joined the newly established [[North Queensland Cowboys]], starting at centre in the club's inaugural game against the [[Sydney Bulldogs]]. In the same game, he became the first Cowboy to be sent off after a high shot on Bulldogs' centre [[Matthew Ryan (rugby league)|Matthew Ryan]] just five minutes into the match. Vowles played 20 games for the Cowboys in 1995, captaining the side three times. In 1996, he became the club's full-time captain, playing 21 games at centre and lock.

At the end of the 1996 season, Vowles was let go by new coach [[Tim Sheens]]. In 2019, Vowles spoke about being released saying, "I didn't miss one game, played half the year with a torn groin and a hernia and it was late when I got told that I wasn't wanted. It was mid-November. We'd already come back and they named a 25-man Super League squad and I wasn't named. Tim Sheens sat in his chair and his exact words were, "You're not big enough, you're not fast enough, you're not strong enough and you've got limited ability". I don't mind that he didn't want me, but don't belittle me. There was a way to do it. I haven't seen him since that day but things happen for a reason".<ref name="nrl.com"/>

After leaving the Cowboys, Vowles was offered to [[Super League (Australia)|Super League]] clubs [[Adelaide Rams|Adelaide]], [[Canterbury Bulldogs|Canterbury]] and the [[Auckland Warriors|Warriors]] but all three moves fell through.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cadigan|first=Neil|title=25 Years in the Saddle|year=2015|publisher=Playright Publishing|page=127|isbn=9780994237316}}</ref>

===Castleford Tigers===
In 1997, Vowles moved to England to play with [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]. In his first season with the club, he played 30 games, scoring eight tries. In 1998, he played 23 games, scoring six tries. Vowles enjoyed a breakout season in 1999, being named at lock in the [[Super League Dream Team]] and winning the [[Man of Steel award]], becoming the first Castleford player and first Queenslander to do so.<ref>{{cite news|title = World Cup Star - Adrian Vowles|publisher=sportinglife.com|year = 2000|url = http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/worldcup2000/star_men/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=Sporting_Life/00/10/05/manual_135348.html
|access-date = 2010-02-04}}</ref> In 2000, Vowles represented [[Scotland national rugby league team|Scotland]] at the [[2000 Rugby League World Cup]], starting at lock in all three of their pool games, scoring one try.<ref name="Statistics at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/playerprofile.php?pid=84|title=Statistics at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk|publisher=thecastlefordtigers|date=31 December 2013|access-date=1 January 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216084113/http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/playerprofile.php?pid=84|archive-date=16 February 2012}}</ref> In 2001, he once again represented Scotland in a 42–20 win over [[France national rugby league team|France]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/dates/3-july-2001/france-vs-scotland.html|title=France vs. Scotland|website=Rugby League Project}}</ref>

In 2003, Vowles returned to the club to play the last three games of the 2003 season after being granted a release by Wakefield. He returned to the Tigers again in 2005 for a brief spell in their promotion winning season in the [[RFL Championship|Championship]].

===Leeds Rhinos===
In 2002, Vowles moved to the [[Leeds Rhinos]] but played just 17 Super League games before making a mid-season switch to the [[Wakefield Trinity|Wakefield Trinity Wildcats]], where he accepted a [[player-coach]] role.

===Wakefield Trinity Wildcats===
Alongside co-coach [[Shane McNally]], Vowles helped save Wakefield from relegation in the 2002 season. Vowles remained with Wakefield until the final three matches of the 2003 season, when he was granted a release by the club to finish the season with Castleford.

===Later career===
In 2004, Vowles returned to Queensland to play in the [[Queensland Cup]] for the [[Brisbane Broncos]] feeder club, the [[Toowoomba Clydesdales]], captaining the side. At the end of the season he won the club's Player of the Year award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/apn-vowles-caps-stella/524/|title=Vowles caps stellar year|date=8 October 2004|website=The Chronicle}}</ref> In 2005, he returned to the Gold Coast, joining the [[Burleigh Bears]]. That season, he start at lock in the Bears' Grand Final loss to the [[North Queensland Young Guns]].

==Achievements and accolades==
===Individual===
*'''[[Man of Steel award]]''': 1999
*'''[[Super League Dream Team]]''': 1999
*'''[[Gold Coast Seagulls]] Player of the Year''': 1993

==Statistics==
===NSWRL/ARL===
{| class="wikitable sortable"  style="font-size:90%; text-align:center; width:85%;"
|-
!width=2%|Season
!width=8%|Team
!width=2%|Matches
!width=2%|T
!width=2%|G
!width=2%|GK %
!width=2%|F/G
!width=2%|Pts
|- 
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[1993 NSWRL season|1993]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Gold Coast Seagulls|16}} [[Gold Coast Seagulls|Gold Coast]]
| 21|| 5|| 4|| 44.4|| 0|| 28
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[1994 NSWRL season|1994]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Gold Coast Seagulls|16}} [[Gold Coast Seagulls|Gold Coast]]
| 17|| 1|| 3|| 37.5|| 0|| 10
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[1995 North Queensland Cowboys season|1995]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|North Queensland|16}} [[North Queensland Cowboys|North Queensland]]
| 20|| 3|| 2|| 22.2|| 0|| 16
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[1996 North Queensland Cowboys season|1996]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|North Queensland|16}} [[North Queensland Cowboys|North Queensland]]
| 21|| 2|| 3|| 100.0|| 0|| 14
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=2| Career totals
! 79
! 11
! 12
! 41.38
! 0
! 68
|}

===Super League===
{| class="wikitable sortable"  style="font-size:90%; text-align:center; width:85%;"
|-
!width=2%|Season
!width=8%|Team
!width=2%|Matches
!width=2%|T
!width=2%|G
!width=2%|GK %
!width=2%|F/G
!width=2%|Pts
|- 
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League II|1997]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Castleford|16}} [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]
| 25|| 8|| 1|| —|| 0|| 34
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League III|1998]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Castleford|16}} [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]
| 23|| 6|| 0|| —|| 0|| 24
|- 
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League IV|1999]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Castleford|16}} [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]
| 28|| 10|| 0|| —|| 0|| 40
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League V|2000]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Castleford|16}} [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]
| 29|| 4|| 0|| —|| 0|| 16
|- 
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League VI|2001]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Castleford|16}} [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]
| 21|| 4|| 0|| —|| 0|| 16
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League VII|2002]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Leeds|16}} [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]]
| 17|| 2|| 0|| —|| 0|| 8
|- 
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League VII|2002]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Wakefield|16}} [[Wakefield Trinity]]
| 7|| 3|| 1|| —|| 0|| 14
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League IX|2003]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Wakefield|16}} [[Wakefield Trinity]]
| 20|| 3|| 0|| —|| 0|| 12
|- 
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[Super League IX|2003]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Castleford|16}} [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]
| 3|| 0|| 0|| —|| 0|| 0
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=2| Career totals
! 173
! 40
! 2
! —
! 0
! 164
|}

===State of Origin===
{| class="wikitable sortable"  style="font-size:90%; text-align:center; width:85%;"
|-
!width=2%|Season
!width=8%|Team
!width=2%|Matches
!width=2%|T
!width=2%|G
!width=2%|GK %
!width=2%|F/G
!width=2%|Pts
|- 
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[1994 State of Origin series|1994]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{leagueicon|Queensland|16}} [[Queensland rugby league team|Queensland]]
| 1|| 0|| 0|| —|| 0|| 0 
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=2| Career totals
! 1
! 0
! 0
! —
! 0
! 0
|}

===International===
{| class="wikitable sortable"  style="font-size:90%; text-align:center; width:85%;"
|-
!width=2%|Season
!width=8%|Team
!width=2%|Matches
!width=2%|T
!width=2%|G
!width=2%|GK %
!width=2%|F/G
!width=2%|Pts
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| [[2000 Rugby League World Cup|2000]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{rl|Scotland}}
| 3|| 1|| 0|| —|| 0|| 4 
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| 2001
|style="text-align:center;"|{{rl|Scotland}}
| 1|| 0|| 0|| —|| 0|| 0 
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=2| Career totals
! 4
! 1
! 0
! —
! 0
! 4
|}

==Post-playing career==
In 2006, Vowles became an assistant coach for [[Burleigh Bears|Burleigh]], before relinquishing the role to become the CEO of the club, a position he held until 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tweeddailynews.com.au/news/apn-2006-vital-to-league/147289/|title=2006 vital to league future|date=1 March 2006|website=Tweed Daily News}}</ref> In the same year, he was inducted into the [[Castleford Tigers]] Hall of Fame.<ref name="Hall of Fame at castigers.com">{{cite web|url=http://castigers.com/cgi-bin/halloffame.cgi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060506212435/http://www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/halloffame.cgi |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 May 2006 |title=Hall of Fame at castigers.com |publisher=castigers |date=31 December 2008 |access-date=1 January 2009}}</ref> In 2009, an [[Arriva Yorkshire]] bus was named after him as part of the Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team.<ref name="Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team">{{cite web|url=http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/content.aspx?id=7044 |title=Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team |publisher=Arriva Yorkshire |date=2009-08-20 |access-date=2009-08-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829120328/http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/content.aspx?id=7044 |archive-date=29 August 2009}}</ref>

In 2015, he was appointed assistant coach of the [[Australian Jillaroos]] and [[Queensland women's rugby league team|Queensland women's]] teams.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2015/11/29/jillaroos-prepare-for-2016-after-a-stellar-2015/|title=Jillaroos prepare for 2016 after a stellar 2015|date=29 November 2015|website=NRL}}</ref> In 2017, he took over as head coach of the Queensland women's side, holding the position for one year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2017/01/19/vowles-appointed-queensland-womens-coach/|title=Vowles appointed Queensland women's coach|date=19 January 2017|website=NRL}}</ref>

From 2012 to 2018, Vowles worked for [[Nine Network|Channel 9]] as a commentator for the [[Queensland Cup]]. Since 2014, the Adrian Vowles Cup has been held annually in [[Charleville, Queensland|Charleville]], featuring under-14 and under-16 boys and girls sides from throughout regional Queensland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2020/02/27/adrian-vowles-cup-to-be-the-biggest-yet/|title=Adrian Vowles Cup to be the biggest yet|date=27 February 2020|website=QRL}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120216084113/http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/playerprofile.php?pid=84 Adrian Vowles at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081117210942/http://leedsrugby.dnsupdate.co.uk/leedsrhinos/pastplayers/squad-page.asp?ID=102 Profile at leedsrugby]

{{Scotland squad 2000 Rugby League World Cup}}
{{Man of Steel Award}}
{{1999 Super League Dream Team}}
{{1995 Cowboys}}
{{North Queensland Cowboys captains}}
{{Wakefield Trinity coaches}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vowles, Adrian}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league coaches]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league commentators]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:Castleford Tigers captains]]
[[Category:Castleford Tigers players]]
[[Category:Gold Coast Chargers players]]
[[Category:Leeds Rhinos players]]
[[Category:North Queensland Cowboys players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Charleville, Queensland]]
[[Category:Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Rugby league centres]]
[[Category:Rugby league locks]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Queensland]]
[[Category:Scotland national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Toowoomba Clydesdales players]]
[[Category:Wakefield Trinity coaches]]
[[Category:Wakefield Trinity players]]