Australian · Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia · Born 15 January 1987Indigenous Australian rugby league star nicknamed 'GI,' regarded as one of the most naturally gifted players of his generation, who won a premiership with South Sydney and the Golden Boot as world's best player.
Gregory Paul Inglis was born on 15 January 1987 in Kempsey, New South Wales, of Dunghutti Indigenous heritage, and made an immediate impact after signing with the Melbourne Storm in 2005, debuting in the NRL at just 18. Within a year he had made his Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test debuts and played in his first grand final, all before turning 20, and was named the NRL's Rookie of the Year. Inglis played 117 games for Melbourne from 2005 to 2010, reaching four grand finals and winning two, and was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as best player in the 2007 grand final. He moved to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2011 in one of the most significant signings in the club's history, and went on to score 71 tries in 146 games, culminating in the Rabbitohs' drought-breaking 21st premiership in 2014 - their first in 43 years - a triumph in which he scored a memorable length-of-field try in the final, celebrated with his signature 'goanna crawl.' Across his career, Inglis won the Golden Boot as the world's best player in 2009, five Dally M awards across multiple positions, and led Queensland to ten State of Origin series victories, becoming the format's all-time leading try-scorer and later its captain. He played 39 Tests for Australia, winning the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, and captained the Indigenous All Stars and the Prime Minister's XIII. Inglis retired in 2019 due to persistent injuries, briefly returning for a short stint with England's Warrington Wolves in 2021 before a hamstring injury ended the comeback. He has since become an advocate for Indigenous health and mental wellbeing, drawing on his own struggles, and moved into coaching and community roles within the sport.
Being one of the most naturally gifted rugby league players of his generation, winning a premiership with South Sydney and the Golden Boot as the world's best player
How They Played
Explosively powerful and athletic for his size, capable of playing centre, fullback, or five-eighth, renowned for a devastating fend, long-range tries, and the ability to break tackles that would stop most forwards
Lasting Impact
Widely regarded as one of the finest all-round talents in modern rugby league history, whose combination of size, speed, and athleticism across multiple positions made him a generational player, with ongoing discussion of eventual Immortal status
Career Honours
- 2014 NRL Premiership Winner with South Sydney
- 2009 Golden Boot Winner - World's Best Player
- 5x Dally M Award Winner
- State of Origin's all-time leading try-scorer
Australian Athletes