STEVE RENOUF
Steven Renouf is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Nicknamed 'the Pearl', he was known as one of the sport's greatest centres. Renouf established numerous club records for the Brisbane Broncos and demonstrated exceptional talent with his lightning turn-of-foot. After spending eleven years with Brisbane, which yielded four premierships, he left Australia to play for English club Wigan Warriors, where he spent two seasons before retiring. He was named in Australia's Indigenous team of the century (1908–2007).
Of Aboriginal and European descent, Renouf was born in Murgon, Queensland on 8 June 1970. A Murgon Mustangs junior, Renouf developed his game with the Brisbane Broncos in his teen years. Renouf made his first grade NSWRL Premiership début in the 1989 Brisbane Broncos season. He scored his first try for the club in 1990, and the following year went on to set a new club record of four tries in a home fixture, and be the Broncos' top try scorer of the 1991 Brisbane Broncos season and 1992 (along with Allan Langer).
In 1992, the Broncos claimed their first premiership, winning the Winfield Cup Grand Final against St. George 28–8, which was highlighted by a 98-metre try to Renouf in the second half. In the weeks following the Broncos Grand Final win, Renouf travelled with the Kangaroos to England for the 1992 World Cup final at the famous Wembley Stadium. Renouf made his début for Australia in front of an international rugby league record attendance of 73,631 fans, scoring the only try of the match after running off a pass from Broncos team mate Kevin Walters in the second half. The Broncos capped their best year by defeating Wigan 22–8 and becoming the first Australian team to win the World Club Challenge in England.
In 1997, Renouf scored 14 tries, which included a hat-trick against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the 1997 Super League grand final on 20 September at ANZ Stadium in Brisbane's 26–8 victory. He was therefore named man-of-the-match. He played centre for the Brisbane Broncos in their win at the 1998 NRL grand final. Over a decade after leaving the Broncos he was still the club's all-time leading try scorer, having amassed a total of 142 tries.
Renouf's Wigan Warriors debut came in round four of the Challenge Cup against Whitehaven at Central Park. he scored two tries on début in his side's mammoth 98–4 victory. Renouf played for the Wigan Warriors at centre in their 2000 Super League Grand Final loss against St Helens R.F.C. His final game for the Wigan Warriors and indeed his last game at the highest level was the 2001 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Following his return to Australia he continued playing football for Easts in the Queensland Cup alongside former Broncos teammate Darren Smith, scoring a try in the 2004 grand final loss to Burleigh. In 2006 Renouf became the 7th former player inducted into the Broncos official Hall of Fame. During the 2007 season at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date, which included Steve Renouf.
In August 2024, the National Rugby League announced that Renouf was an inductee into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame. Renouf, who was ascribed Hall of Fame number 119, was amongst eleven male players in the 2024 Class.