Mark Gerrard

{{Short description|Former Australian rugby union player/current coach}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Mark Gerrard

| image = Mark Gerrard 2012 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Mark Gerrard in Tonga 2012

| birth_name =

| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|191|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|98|kg|stlb lb|abbr=on}}

| ru_position = Fullback, Centre, Wing, Flyhalf

| amatyears1 =

| amatteam1 =

| ru_amupdate =

| repteam1 = Australia

| repyears1 = 2005–07

| repcaps1 = 23

| reppoints1 = 45

| ru_ntupdate = 9 August 2010

| years1 = 2010/11

| years2 = 2013−18

| clubs1 = NTT Com Shining Arcs

| clubs2 = Toyota Shokki

| apps1 = 10

| apps2 = 44

| points1 = 34

| points2 = 167

| ru_clubupdate = 15 January 2017

| super1 = Waratahs

| super2 = Brumbies

| super3 = Rebels

| superyears1 = 2001–02

| superyears2 = 2003–09

| superyears3 = 2011–12

| superapps1 = 2

| superapps2 = 78

| superapps3 = 27

| superpoints1 = 3

| superpoints2 = 306

| superpoints3 = 13

| super14update = 23 July 2012

| ru_currentclub =

| province1 =

| provinceyears1 =

| provinceapps1 =

| provincepoints1 =

| ru_provinceupdate =

| repsevensyears1 =

| repsevensteam1 =

| repsevenscomp1 =

| ru_sevensupdate =

| coachteams1 = Austin Gilgronis (assistant coach)

| coachyears1 = 2021–2022

| ru_coachupdate = 30 October 2022

| sooyears =

| sooteam =

| soocaps =

| soopoints =

| sooupdate =

| rl_position =

| rl_nationalteam =

| rl_nationalyears =

| rl_nationalcaps =

| rl_nationalpoints =

| rl_ntupdate =

| rl_amateuryears =

| rl_amateurclubs =

| rl_amupdate =

| rl_clubyears =

| rl_proclubs =

| rl_clubcaps =

| rl_clubpoints =

| rl_clubupdate =

| rl_coachclubs =

| rl_coachyears =

| rl_coachupdate =

| occupation = Rugby union player
Assistant coach

| spouse = Larissa

| children = 4 (son Markus, daughter Milana, daughter Mateja and son Makson)

| relatives = Mo'onia Gerrard (sister)
Wycliff Palu
Keta Iongi

| school = Narrabeen Sports High, Narrabeen North Primary School

| university =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|09|04|df=yes}}

}}

Mark Gerrard (born 4 September 1982) is a former Australian professional rugby union footballer. He currently is the assistant coach for the Austin Gilgronis in Major League Rugby (MLR) competition in the United States.{{cite web

| url = http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/Team/Player/tabid/297/playerid/17/language/en-US/Default.aspx

| title = Mark Gerrard player profile

| publisher = Melbourne Rebels

| location = Australia

| accessdate = 11 October 2010

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120309114440/http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/Team/Player/tabid/297/playerid/17/language/en-US/Default.aspx

| archive-date = 9 March 2012

| url-status = dead

}}{{cite press release | author = Rebels media unit | date = 28 September 2010 | title = Rebels vs Crusaders | url = http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/377/Default.aspx | publisher = Melbourne Rebels | accessdate = 2 October 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110727025530/http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/377/Default.aspx | archive-date = 27 July 2011 | url-status = dead }} In 2011, he was one of 10 players nominated to become the competition's Super Rugby player of the year.{{cite web | first = Mark | last = Gerrard | date = 22 April 2011

| title = Melbourne Rebels don't mind the knockers

| work = Roar Rugby | publisher = Roar Sports Opinion

| url = http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/04/22/melbourne-rebels-dont-mind-the-knockers/

| accessdate = 22 April 2011}}{{cite web | first = Jamie | last = Pandaram | date = 22 April 2011

| title = Gerrard in hunt for Super star title

| work = The Sydney Morning Herald

| url = http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/super-rugby/gerrard-in-hunt-for-super-star-title-20110419-1dnhf.html

| accessdate = 22 April 2011}}

Gerrard has played for the Australian Wallabies and previously played for the NSW Waratahs and the ACT Brumbies. He usually plays at fullback or wing but can also cover in the centres and sometimes flyhalf. His sister Mo'onia Gerrard is an Australian representative netballer. He is the cousin of Wallaby Wycliff Palu.

Biography

Gerrard was educated at both Narrabeen North Primary School and Narrabeen Sports High School, where he started playing rugby league, representing Australian School Boys in that code before switching to Rugby Union. Gerrard made the Australian Schoolboys team in 1999.{{cite press release | first = Paul |last = Roberton | date = 2 May 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503195952/http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/News/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/6306/Default.aspx|archivedate=2012-05-03

| title = Looking back on Mark Gerrard's incredible career | publisher = Melbourne Rebels | url = http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/News/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/6306/Default.aspx | accessdate = 4 May 2012}}

Gerrard went on to play for the Warringah Rugby Club and represented Australia in the national under-19s side in both 2000 and 2001; also in 2001 he represented Australia in the under-21s side. After the successful appearances for junior representative sides, he made his Super 12 debut for the New South Wales Waratahs. He continued to make the under-21 Australian side up for the next two years, before touring Japan with Australia A in 2003. He signed for the ACT Brumbies for the 2003 season.{{cite web

|author = ACTRU

|date = 15 August 2002

|title = Brumbies Sign Mark Gerrard

|work = Wallabies Rugby

|url = http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2002_august/brumbies_sign_mark_gerrard_14557,6673.html

|accessdate = 22 April 2011

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606232347/http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2002_august/brumbies_sign_mark_gerrard_14557,6673.html

|archivedate = 6 June 2011

}} He made his debut for the Brumbies against the Sharks at Durban, scoring a try. He played for the Brumbies in 2004, with the team winning the championship. He missed out on a mid-year test match against England in Brisbane due to injury. He was a member of the Australian squad that toured England, Scotland and France at the end of the year but did not play because of a recurring hamstring injury. In late 2005 he made his Test debut for Australia when he came on as a replacement against Italy in Melbourne.{{Citation needed | date= May 2012}}

Gerrard moved to Japan and spent one season with the NTT Communications Shining Arcs.

During the coronation of the present King of Tonga, Mark Gerrard played for Tonga during the coronation rugby match in the Teufaiva stadium.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}

Gerrard moved back from Japan to join the Melbourne Rebels for the start of the 2011 Super Rugby season. He played 11 of the Rebels 16 games that year.{{

cite press release | author = Rebels Media Unit | date = 10 July 2011 | publisher = Melbourne Rebels | title = Rebels become Wallabies | url = http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/News/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/3768/Default.aspx | accessdate = 13 July 2011}} Later in 2011, Gerrard was named in the 40-man Wallabies squad.{{cite press release | author = Rebels Media Unit | date = 10 July 2011 | publisher = Melbourne Rebels | title = Phipps to fight for Wallabies number nine | url = http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/News/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/3772/Default.aspx | accessdate = 12 July 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120324062912/http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/News/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/3772/Default.aspx | archive-date = 24 March 2012 | url-status = dead }}{{cite press release

| date = 10 July 2011 | author = ARU | publisher = Australian Rugby Union

| title = Qantas Wallabies Squad For Samoa Test & Tri Nations Named | url = http://www.rugby.com.au/wallabies/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1516/ArticleID/3773/Default.aspx | accessdate = 12 July 2011}}

In May 2012, Gerrard was expected to play his 100th Super Rugby game.{{

cite video | author = Rebels Media Unit

| title = Mark Gerrard to play his 100th Super Rugby game | url = http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/News/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/6302/Default.aspx | date = 1 May 2012}}