Berrick Barnes

Berrick Steven Barnes (born 28 May 1986) is an Australian rugby union coach and former dual-code player. His usual position was fly-half or inside centre. He previously played with Japanese Top League clubs Panasonic Wild Knights and Ricoh Black Rams, as well as in the Super Rugby with Australian teams the New South Wales Waratahs and the Queensland Reds; and the Australia national team.

Early life Barnes was born in Brisbane and was also good enough to win state championship medals in swimming. His sports master at Ipswich, Nigel Greive, described Berrick Barnes as "the most talented all-rounder I've ever been associated with".

Barnes began his professional sporting career straight out of school. He was scouted by the Brisbane Broncos, Queensland Reds and Queensland Bulls, but decided to join the Broncos.

Barnes also played for Queensland U-19 against NSW U-19 in curtain-raiser matches to State of Origin in 2004 and 2005.

Barnes made his NRL debut for Brisbane in 2005 at the age of 18, coming off the bench in round 8 against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. He went on to make 9 NRL appearances for the Broncos, scoring one try.

However, shortly after his first run-on start with the Broncos, Barnes signed a two-year deal with the Queensland Reds to switch codes and play rugby union.

Rugby union Super Rugby career Barnes played for the Queensland Reds from 2006 to 2009. He made 45 appearances and scored 105 points, including 6 tries, for the Reds in Super Rugby. He made 43 appearances, and scored 194 points including 4 tries for the Waratahs in Super Rugby.

Barnes retired from rugby in April 2020.

International career Barnes made his international debut aged 21 in Australia's first pool match of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, against Japan. After only three minutes on the field, and with his first touch of the ball, Barnes scored his first Test try. He scored again, five minutes from the end of the game, which Australia won 91–3. After the match, in which he excelled, he said: The crowd was unbelievable. It felt like a Boxing Day Test. Standing in that tunnel, I've never heard a roar like it. Standing next to the Japanese as we waited to walk out was pretty special. I was giving a few 'yahoos'. The boys gave me a bit about that. I was pumped. I wasn't going to hold it in.

The following week, for Australia's next World Cup match against at the Millennium Stadium, Barnes was originally selected as a replacement. Stephen Larkham injured his knee, however, and Barnes was told on the morning of the game that he would be the starting fly-half. He played the full match and made a significant contribution to Australia's 32–20 victory, setting up a try for Matt Giteau and then scoring a field goal from 32 metres. He added another drop goal in Australia's next pool game, a 55–12 win over Fiji that assured Australia a place in the quarter-finals. Barnes was rested for the final pool game but returned to the starting line-up for the quarter-final match against England in Marseille, where Australia exited the tournament. The following year, Barnes was named vice-captain of the Wallabies for the 2009 Spring Tour but was sent home after he rolled his ankle at a training session in Tokyo, Japan and sustained a syndesmosis injury.

In 2010, Barnes missed selection for the first Test of the season against Fiji but played in the next match against England. He then went on to play the entire Tri Nations series, either starting or on the bench. In the final Test of the 2010 Spring Tour, Barnes, playing at inside centre, linked with fly-half Quade Cooper to help orchestrate a spectacular 59-16 demolition of France, in Paris.