David Campese

David Ian Campese, AM (born 21 October 1962), also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player (1982–1996), who was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and played 85 Tests at wing and 16 at fullback.

David Campese was born to Gianantonio and Joan Campese on 21 October 1962 in Queanbeyan, New South Wales.

He had two sisters, Lisa and Corrina and one brother, Mario.

In 1966 his family moved to Montecchio Precalcino for eighteen months before moving back to Australia and resettling in Queanbeyan.

Campese attended his local public school and Queanbeyan High School.

At club level, Campese played for the Queanbeyan Whites from 1979 until 1986, and Randwick from 1987 to 1999.

He won three consecutive grand finals with the Queanbeyan Whites from 1981 to 1983, and in the 1983 grand final he scored all of his team's points in a 29–12 victory, scoring four tries, two conversions and three penalty goals.

Campese debuted for the Wallabies on the 1982 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand, during which he scored one try in each of his first two Tests.

In 1983, he equalled the then Australian record for most tries in a Test, scoring four for Australia against the USA.

In 1983, he scored two tries, four conversions, and a penalty goal, in an Australian Capital Territory victory over Argentina.

He made 12 appearances at the Hong Kong Sevens (1983–1990, 1993–94, 1997–98),

during which he played in three victorious Australian campaigns (1983, 1985 and 1988), and was awarded the Leslie Williams Award for Player of the Tournament in 1988.

He toured with the Eighth Wallabies for the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland that won rugby union's grand slam, the first Australian side to defeat all four home nations, England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, on a tour.

Campese also played rugby union in Italy for nine years (1984/85-1992/93) during which he won the Top12 on five occasions with two teams.

He played for Petrarca Padova from 1984/85 until 1987/88 and won the Italian Championship in his first three years with the club (1984/85-1986/87).

He was a member of the Wallabies on the 1986 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand that beat the All Blacks 2–1, one of six international teams and second Australian team to win a test series in New Zealand.

He participated in the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, during which he broke the then world record for most tries scored by an international rugby player in the semi-final against France.

He won eight grand finals with Randwick, including six consecutive victories from 1987 to 1992, as well as triumphs in 1994 and 1996.

In 1987, Campese won the New South Wales Sevens tournament, held at Concord Oval, playing for an Australian side that defeated New Zealand 22–12 in the final.

In 1988, Campese transferred to Amatori where he won the Italian championship for the 1990/91 and 1992/93 seasons.

In 1990, he participated in the 100th Melrose Sevens tournament playing for the victorious Randwick rugby club, during which he scored 44 of Randwick's 92 points.

Campese was a member of the Wallabies that won the 1991 Rugby World Cup,during which he was the tournament's equal leading try-scorer with six, and acclaimed "Player of the Tournament".

In 1991, he scored five tries for New South Wales in a 71–8 victory over Wales.

He was awarded Player of the Year for his 1991/2 season.

Campese was also a renowned rugby sevens player.

Campese won his second Bledisloe Cup in 1992 when the Wallabies defeated the All Blacks 2–1.

During the 1992 Australia rugby union tour of South Africa, he scored his 50th career Test try against South Africa in Cape Town.

He participated in the inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in 1993, held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland, in which his Australian team lost to England 17–21 in the final.

He won his third Bledisloe Cup in 1994, playing for an Australian team that defeated New Zealand in a one-off Test.

He retired in 1996 and was awarded the Order of Australia in 2002 for his contribution to Australian rugby.

Campese is now a media commentator, working in broadcasting and print media, and international guest speaker.

He also works as an ambassador to businesses including Coca-Cola Amatil, DHL, Adidas, Ladbrokes, and Investec.

On the 1996 Australia rugby union tour of Europe, Campese became the first Australian rugby union player, and second international player, to reach the milestone of playing 100 Tests.

He retired from international rugby at the end of tour, having played 101 tests and scored a then world-record 64 test tries.

In 1998, he captained Australia to its first rugby sevens tournament victory in ten years at the Paris Sevens.

He captained the Australian rugby sevens team at the 1998 Commonwealth Games to a bronze medal.

This record has since been overtaken by Daisuke Ohata (on 14 May 2006) and Bryan Habana.

At state level, Campese represented both the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.

In 2015, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) announced Campese as one of seven members of 'The Hong Kong Magnificent Sevens', the HKRFU's commemorative campaign to recognise the seven most formative players to have played in the past 40 Years of Sevens in Hong Kong.

He is famous for his "goose-step" — a hitch-kick motion which left opponents stumbling to try to tackle him.