View source for Ross Strudwick

{{short description|Australia international rugby league footballer and coach}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name                = Ross Strudwick
|fullname            = Ross Andrew Strudwick
|image               =
|imagesize           = 
|caption             = Ross Strudwick,1972
|birth_date          = {{birth year and age|1950}}
|birth_place         = [[Nyngan]], [[New South Wales]], Australia
|death_date          = 
|height              = 
|weight              = 
|retired             = yes
|position            = {{rlp|HB}}
|club1               = [[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|year1start          = 1969
|year1end            = 72
|appearances1        = 32
|tries1              = 1
|goals1              = 54
|fieldgoals1         = 4
|points1             = 117
|club2               = [[Fortitude Valley Diehards|Fortitude Valley]]
|year2start          = 1973
|year2end            = 81
|appearances2        = 
|tries2              = 
|goals2              = 
|fieldgoals2         = 
|points2             = 
|teamA               = [[Queensland rugby league team|Queensland]]
|yearAstart          = 1973
|yearAend            = 76
|appearancesA        = 8
|triesA              = 0
|goalsA              = 3
|fieldgoalsA         = 2
|pointsA             = 8
|teamB               = [[Australian rugby league team|Australia]]
|yearBstart          = 1975
|yearBend            = 
|appearancesB        = 1
|triesB              = 0
|goalsB              = 0
|fieldgoalsB         = 0
|pointsB             = 0
|teamC               = [[Brisbane rugby league team|Brisbane]]
|yearCstart          = 1979
|yearCend            = 
|appearancesC        = 1
|triesC              = 0
|goalsC              = 0 
|fieldgoalsC         = 0
|pointsC             = 0
|coachteam1          = [[Fortitude Valley Diehards|Fortitude Valley]]
|coachyear1start     = 1979
|coachyear1end       = 84
|coachgames1         = 123
|coachwins1          = 79
|coachdraws1         = 4
|coachlosses1        = 40
|coachteam2          = [[Past Brothers]]
|coachyear2start     = 1985
|coachyear2end       = 87
|coachgames2         = 44
|coachwins2          = 33
|coachdraws2         = 0
|coachlosses2        = 11
|coachteam3          = [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]]
|coachyear3start     = 1988
|coachyear3end       = 89
|coachgames3         = 20
|coachwins3          = 7
|coachdraws3         = 0
|coachlosses3        = 13
|coachteam4          = [[London Broncos#1991–1994: London Crusaders|London Crusaders]]
|coachyear4start     = 1990
|coachyear4end       = 93
|coachgames4         = 25
|coachwins4          = 8
|coachdraws4         = 0
|coachlosses4        = 17
|source              = <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=6120 |title=NRL Stats |access-date=27 May 2009 |archive-date=8 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080808045712/http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=6120 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Ross_Strudwick/summary.html Rugby League Project]</ref>
|updated             = 
}}

'''Ross Strudwick''' (born 1950<ref>{{cite web
 |last        = Queensland Rugby League
 |author-link  = Queensland Rugby League
 |title       = QRL History
 |work        = Queensland Representatives
 |publisher   = qrl.com.au
 |url         = http://www.qrl.com.au/qrl_history/qld_rep_s.php
 |access-date  = 2009-05-27
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927125731/http://www.qrl.com.au/qrl_history/qld_rep_s.php
 |archive-date = 27 September 2011
}}
</ref>) is an Australian former [[rugby league]] footballer and coach. An [[Australia national rugby league team|Australian international]], [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] and [[Queensland rugby league team|Queensland]] representative halfback of the 1970s, he played club football in the [[New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership]] for [[St. George Dragons|St. George]] and in the [[Brisbane Rugby League Premiership]] for [[Fortitude Valley Diehards|Fortitude Valley]]. Strudwick later embarked on a coaching career in Queensland and England.

==Playing==
Strudwick started his career in the [[New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership]] with [[St. George Dragons]] in 1969. He played there until 1972, gaining selection for [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] during this period. Strudwick was the understudy to the champion Dragons halfback [[Billy Smith (rugby league, born 1942)|Billy Smith]] during that period, thus his first grade appearances were irregular.

After moving north to play in the [[Brisbane Rugby League premiership]] with [[Fortitude Valley Diehards|Fortitude Valley]], Strudwick was selected to represent [[Queensland rugby league team|Queensland]] several times and also played for Australia in the [[1975 Rugby League World Cup|1975 World Series]]. He was captain of Valleys when a teenage [[Wally Lewis]] made his first grade debut for the club in 1978<ref>{{cite book
| last = Meares
| first = Peter
| title = Legends of Australian sport: The Inside Story
| publisher = [[University of Queensland]] Press
| year = 2003
| location = Australia
| pages = 134
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=aMw_Zpew2OgC
| isbn = 9780702234101}}
</ref> and worked with the youngster to help develop his long passing skills. That year they made the Grand Final but lost to [[Easts Tigers|Easts]]. The following year, with Strudwick as captain-coach, Valleys beat [[Souths Logan Magpies|Souths]] to win the 1979 BRL premiership.<ref>{{cite web| title =1979 Brisbane Rugby League Grand Final| work =Rugby League News| publisher =World of Rugby League| date =1989-09-17| url =http://queensland.rleague.com/flashback/1979gf.php| access-date =2009-05-27| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110715191429/http://queensland.rleague.com/flashback/1979gf.php| archive-date =15 July 2011}}
</ref>

==Coaching==
Following his retirement from playing, Strudwick continued coaching in Queensland, taking [[Past Brothers|Brothers]] to victory in the 1987 BRL grand final, before moving to England the following year to take up opportunities there. He coached [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]] during the 1980s but was sacked after a home defeat by [[Featherstone Rovers]]. He also worked as a television match commentator for BBC Grandstand, and coached and managed [[London Broncos#1991–1994: London Crusaders|London Crusaders]] before being replaced by [[Darryl van der Velde]] in 1992.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Biography & Career Highlights
| work = Player Profile: Ross Strudwick
| publisher = yesterdayshero.com.au
| url = http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Ross-Strudwick_7878.aspx
| access-date = 2009-05-27}}
</ref> He resigned as general manager of the club in 1993.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Hadfield
| first = Dave
| title = Wigan's travel plans unclear
| work = Independent, The
| publisher = independent.co.uk
| date = 1993-02-16
| url = https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-wigans-travel-plans-unclear-1473383.html
| access-date = 2009-07-23}}
</ref>

Strudwick is also the founder and CEO of a sporting goods retail franchise called [[Struddys]], and his son, [[Nathan Strudwick|Nathan]] has also played rugby league, signing with the [[Brisbane Broncos]] club.<ref>{{cite web| title =Struddys Sports franchise reveals Sunshine Coast expansion plan| publisher =franchisebusiness.com.au| date =2007-03-27| url =http://www.franchisebusiness.com.au/articles/Struddys-Sports-franchise-reveals-Sunshine-Coast-expansion-plan_z50202.htm| access-date =2009-05-27| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081206030057/http://www.franchisebusiness.com.au/articles/Struddys-Sports-franchise-reveals-Sunshine-Coast-expansion-plan_z50202.htm| archive-date =6 December 2008}}
</ref>

==References==
* [[Alan Whiticker|Whiticker, Alan]] & Hudson, Glen (2006) ''The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players'', Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{Fortitude Valley squad - 1974 BRL premiers}}
{{Fortitude Valley squad - 1979 BRL premiers}}
{{Brothers squad - 1987 BRL premiers}}
{{Australia squad 1975 Rugby League World Cup}}
{{Halifax Panthers coaches}}
{{London Broncos coaches}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strudwick, Ross}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australia national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league coaches]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:Brisbane rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Date of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Fortitude Valley Diehards players]]
[[Category:Halifax Panthers coaches]]
[[Category:London Broncos coaches]]
[[Category:Past Brothers players]]
[[Category:Queensland rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Rugby league halfbacks]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Nyngan]]
[[Category:St. George Dragons players]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]