Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1971-05-30)30 May 1971 (age 53) Charleville,Queensland, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (13 st 1 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Lock, Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source:[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adrian Vowles (born 30 May 1971) is a former professionalScotland internationalrugby league footballer who played as aloose forward orcentre in the 1990s and 2000s. He played in Australia for several years, gainingState of Origin selection in 1994, but spent the majority of his career in theSuper League.
Born inCunnamulla, Queensland, Vowles played his junior rugby league for the Cunnamulla Rams and for Charleville All Whites and Railways when he his family moved there in 1982.
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 theGold Coast, playing for theTweed Heads Seagulls. In 1990 while playing for a Gold Coast under-21 representative side, he earned a reserve grade trial with theGold Coast Seagulls, later signing with the club.[2]
In Round 1 of the1993 NSWRL season, Vowles made his first grade debut in the Seagulls' 10–14 loss to theWestern 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.[2]
In 1994, Vowles continued his good form and was selected forQueensland in Game II of that year'sseries. He came off the bench in Queensland's 0–14 loss toNew South Wales at theMelbourne Cricket Ground.
In 1995, Vowles joined the newly establishedNorth Queensland Cowboys, starting at centre in the club's inaugural game against theSydney Bulldogs. In the same game, he became the first Cowboy to be sent off after a high shot on Bulldogs' centreMatthew 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 coachTim 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".[2]
After leaving the Cowboys, Vowles was offered toSuper League clubsAdelaide,Canterbury and theWarriors but all three moves fell through.[3]
In 1997, Vowles moved to England to play withCastleford. 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 theSuper League Dream Team and winning theMan of Steel award, becoming the first Castleford player and first Queenslander to do so.[4] In 2000, Vowles representedScotland at the2000 Rugby League World Cup, starting at lock in all three of their pool games, scoring one try.[5] In 2001, he once again represented Scotland in a 42–20 win overFrance.[6]
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 theChampionship.
In 2002, Vowles moved to theLeeds Rhinos but played just 17 Super League games before making a mid-season switch to theWakefield Trinity Wildcats, where he accepted aplayer-coach role.
Alongside co-coachShane 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.
In 2004, Vowles returned to Queensland to play in theQueensland Cup for theBrisbane Broncos feeder club, theToowoomba Clydesdales, captaining the side. At the end of the season he won the club's Player of the Year award.[7] In 2005, he returned to the Gold Coast, joining theBurleigh Bears. That season, he start at lock in the Bears' Grand Final loss to theNorth Queensland Young Guns.
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 |  Gold Coast | 21 | 5 | 4 | 44.4 | 0 | 28 |
| 1994 | Gold Coast | 17 | 1 | 3 | 37.5 | 0 | 10 |
| 1995 |  North Queensland | 20 | 3 | 2 | 22.2 | 0 | 16 |
| 1996 | North Queensland | 21 | 2 | 3 | 100.0 | 0 | 14 |
| Career totals | 79 | 11 | 12 | 41.38 | 0 | 68 | |
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 |  Castleford | 25 | 8 | 1 | — | 0 | 34 |
| 1998 | Castleford | 23 | 6 | 0 | — | 0 | 24 |
| 1999 | Castleford | 28 | 10 | 0 | — | 0 | 40 |
| 2000 | Castleford | 29 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 16 |
| 2001 | Castleford | 21 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 16 |
| 2002 |  Leeds | 17 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 8 |
| 2002 |  Wakefield Trinity | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 14 |
| 2003 | Wakefield Trinity | 20 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 12 |
| 2003 | Castleford | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career totals | 173 | 40 | 2 | — | 0 | 164 | |
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 |  Queensland | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 |  Scotland | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 4 |
| 2001 | Scotland | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career totals | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 4 | |
In 2006, Vowles became an assistant coach forBurleigh, before relinquishing the role to become the CEO of the club, a position he held until 2010.[8] In the same year, he was inducted into theCastleford Tigers Hall of Fame.[9] In 2009, anArriva Yorkshire bus was named after him as part of the Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team.[10]
In 2015, he was appointed assistant coach of theAustralian Jillaroos andQueensland women's teams.[11] In 2017, he took over as head coach of the Queensland women's side, holding the position for one year.[12]
From 2012 to 2018, Vowles worked forChannel 9 as a commentator for theQueensland Cup. Since 2014, the Adrian Vowles Cup has been held annually inCharleville, featuring under-14 and under-16 boys and girls sides from throughout regional Queensland.[13]