View source for Robbie Kearns

{{Short description|Australia international rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Robbie Kearns
|fullname       = Robert Kearns
|image          = Robbie Kearns.jpg
|imagesize      = 200
|caption        = 
|retired = yes
|height         = {{convert|185|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight         = {{convert|100|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}<ref name="Nailgun aside, just a man about the house">{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/05/1054700338468.html|title=Nailgun aside, just a man about the house|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=6 June 2003|access-date=19 April 2017}}</ref>
|position       = {{Rlp|PR}}
|birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1971|12|12|df=yes}}
|birth_place    = [[Sydney]], New South Wales, Australia
|club1          = [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland]]
|year1start     = 1992
|year1end       = 95
|appearances1   = 76
|tries1         = 9
|goals1         = 2
|fieldgoals1    = 0
|points1        = 40
|club2          = [[Western Reds]]
|year2start     = 1996
|year2end       = 97
|appearances2   = 37
|tries2         = 4
|goals2         = 0
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 16
|club3          = [[Melbourne Storm]]
|year3start     = 1998
|year3end       = 05
|appearances3   = 169
|tries3         = 18
|goals3         = 0
|fieldgoals3    = 0
|points3        = 72
|teamA          = [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]]
|yearAstart     = 1998
|yearAend       = 03
|appearancesA   = 8
|triesA         = 0
|goalsA         = 0
|fieldgoalsA    = 0
|pointsA        = 0
|teamB          = [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]]
|yearBstart     = 1998
|yearBend       = 03
|appearancesB   = 20
|triesB         = 0
|goalsB         = 0
|fieldgoalsB    = 0
|pointsB        = 0
|teamC          = [[City rugby league team|City NSW]]
|yearCstart     = 2002
|yearCend       = 03
|appearancesC   = 2
|triesC         = 0
|goalsC         = 0
|fieldgoalsC    = 0
|pointsC        = 0
|teamD          = [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]] ([[Super League (Australia)|SL]])
|yearDstart     = 1997
|appearancesD   = 3
|triesD         = 1
|goalsD         = 0
|fieldgoalsD    = 0
|pointsD        = 4
|teamE          = {{Nowrap|[[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] ([[Super League Tri-series|SL]])}}
|yearEstart     = 1997
|appearancesE   = 1
|triesE         = 0
|goalsE         = 0
|fieldgoalsE    = 0
|pointsE        = 0
|updated        = 10 February 2023
|source         = <ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/robbie-kearns/summary.html Rugby League Project]</ref>
|new            = yes
}}

'''Robbie Kearns''' (born 12 December 1971) is an Australian former professional [[rugby league]] footballer who played in the 1990s, and 2000s. An [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia international]] and [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] [[State of Origin series|State of Origin]] representative forward, he played for the [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks]], [[Western Reds]] and the [[Melbourne Storm]].

==Early life==
Born in [[Sydney, New South Wales]]. Kearns was educated at [[St John Bosco College, Sydney|St John Bosco College, Engadine]].

Robbie played junior football for the [[Engadine Dragons]]<ref name="StormProfile">{{cite web |title=Melbourne Storm - Robbie Kearns profile |url=http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/mn_players.asp?Action=ViewPlayer&ID=11 |website=melbournestorm.com.au |access-date=9 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010630182423/http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/mn_players.asp?Action=ViewPlayer&ID=11 |archive-date=30 June 2001}}</ref> and [[Cronulla-Sutherland District Rugby Football League|St John Bosco Bulldogs]]. He then signed with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

==Playing career==
In March 1992, Kearns made his first grade debut for Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in round 1 against the [[Brisbane Broncos]] at [[Lang Park]], becoming a regular in the Cronulla side during the 1992 season. He was a member of the Sharks reserve grade premiership victory in 1993.<ref name="StormProfile"/>

Kearns signed with the [[WA Reds|Western Reds]] for the [[1996 ARL season]]. He would go on to win Player of the Year honours for the Reds in 1996, also taking out the club Chairman's Player of the Year award in both 1996 and 1997.<ref name="StormProfile"/>

Selected by New South Wales for the [[Super League Tri-series]] final against Queensland during the [[1997 Super League (Australia) season|1997 Super League season]],<ref name="StormProfile"/> Kearns would make his international representative debut after he was selected to play for [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]] from the interchange bench in all three matches of the [[Super League Test series]] against [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]].

Kearns signed on with the newly created [[Melbourne Storm]] for the [[1998 NRL season]]. That year he was named the club's Player of the Year award, also winning the Chairman's Award.<ref>{{cite web|last=melbournestorm.com.au|title=NRL Honour Board|url=http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.aspx?s=nrl-honour-board|work=Club|publisher=[[Melbourne Storm]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928161940/http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.aspx?s=nrl-honour-board|archive-date=28 September 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="StormProfile"/> He would also make his [[State of Origin]] debut for [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]], playing in game 3 of the [[1998 State of Origin series]]. Kearns would be selected again for NSW in 1999, but fell off a horse at a training camp, breaking his collarbone in three places. He would be ruled out of the entire [[1999 State of Origin series]] and would be restricted to only 13 matches for the entire 1999 season, with a thigh injury keeping him out of the Storm team that would go on to win the [[1999 NRL Grand Final]].<ref name="StormProfile"/>

Having won the 1999 Premiership, the [[Melbourne Storm]] travelled to England to contest the [[2000 World Club Challenge]] against [[Super League]] Champions [[St Helens R.F.C.]], with Kearns captaining at prop forward in the victory.  In 2000 Kearns was awarded the [[Australian Sports Medal]] for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. Kearns captained the Melbourne Storm from 2000 to 2002 and again in 2005. At the end of the [[2001 NRL season]], he went on the [[2001 Kangaroo tour]]. He was again named the Storm's player of the season in 2003 and he went on the [[2003 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France]], helping Australia to victory over [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] in what would be the last time the two nations contested an [[Ashes series]]. 

He retired at the conclusion of the 2005 season after a 13-year career,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Paxinos |first1=Stathi |title=Kearns takes his final option |work=The Age |publisher=Fairfax Digital |date=23 August 2005 |location=Melbourne, Victoria |page=8}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=deKroo |first1=Karl |title=Time's running out for Kearns |work=Herald-Sun |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd |date=17 September 2005 |location=Melbourne, Victoria |page=32}}</ref> but remained with the Melbourne Storm in a marketing and business development capacity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Where are they now: Robbie Kearns |url=https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2017/06/15/where-are-they-now-robbie-kearns/ |website=melbournestorm.com.au |access-date=9 February 2023 |date=25 June 2017}}</ref>

Melbourne Storm released a 'team of the decade' as part of their 10-year celebrations in 2007, with Kearns named at prop.

==Representative career==
*''State of Origin:'' Played 8 games in total for [[New South Wales]] between 1998 and 2003
*''International:'' Played 23 tests for Australia including the 2000 World Cup

==Honours==
* [[WA Reds|Western/Perth Reds]] Player of the Year: 1996, 1997
* [[Melbourne Storm]] Player of the Year: [[1998 Melbourne Storm season|1998]], [[2003 Melbourne Storm season|2003]]

==References==
{{reflist|40em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.stateoforigin.com.au/SOOgame/PlayerDetails.aspx?Pid=178 Robbie Kearns at stateoforigin.com]
* [http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.asp?sec=2&ssec=2&pid=24&prid=1&yr=2005 Robbie Kearns at melbournestorm.com.au]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/rugby_league/2001/ashes/kearns.stm 2001 Ashes profile]

{{1998 Melbourne}}
{{Melbourne Storm - 2000 World Club Challenge winners}}
{{Cameron Smith Player of the Year Award}}
{{Australia 2000 Rugby League World Cup Squad}}
{{2001 Kangaroo Tour squad}}
{{2003 Kangaroo Tour squad}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kearns, Robbie}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:Australia national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players]]
[[Category:Melbourne Storm players]]
[[Category:New South Wales City Origin rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal]]
[[Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Sydney]]
[[Category:Rugby league props]]
[[Category:Western Reds players]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]