Before he was an international rugby player, Simon Poidevin was a boy who grew up on a farm near Goulburn.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Now the Coogee resident has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to education, non-for-profit groups, and sport.
As a teenager, it didn’t take long for the St Patrick’s College student to become a loyal player for the Goulburn Dirty Reds.
After winning the 1977 premiership with the Reds – a highlight still close to his heart – Poidevin represented Australia for 11 years and captained the Wallabies in 1986 and 1987.
He co-founded the Lexcen Sports Scholarship Committee, was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions, completed his honours degree in Science, and is the current ambassador for RUOK? Day.
To this day, it is the support and discipline of St Patrick’s College he remembers.
“I’ll always be thankful for the school’s education and discipline,” he said.
“This award recognises giving back to society. That’s something the Christian Brothers taught me.”
National recognition was a “tremendous honour” and also reflected on those who had worked with him in the sports and charity sectors over the years.
He also said his achievements were founded on the fields of the Dirty Reds, named after him in 1996.
“They’ve been a great club and have provided great opportunities for juniors in the district,” he said.
“I’ve always said to national rugby union boards, the Reds are a great model of the country club.”
His 1991 World Cup win is a moment he will never forget, alongside the 1997 Dirty Reds win against the Bowral Blacks.
Poidevin said athleticism, determination and discipline made a good rugby player.
Over his career, there was only one time Poidevin was kicked out of a game, at North Park Oval, aged 10.
“I was in a fight. One of the opposition was having a go at me,” he recalled lightheartedly. “It sent us both off.”
Two years later, there was a greater lesson to be learned on the field.
“I remember playing in an under-12s rugby league knock-out at the Yass Showground,” he said.
“I was playing against larger kids, and the coach said to me, ‘You’ll play for Australia one day’.
“It was firmly in my mind from that day on.”
Simon Poidevin was awarded an OAM in 1988. He still helps his mother run their family cattle farm in Goulburn.
