Ron Costello

{{Short description|Australia international rugby league footballer}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

| first = RU

| name = Ron Costello

| fullname = Ron Costello

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1942|11|7}}

| birth_place = Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| position = {{rlp|SR}}

| club1 = {{nowrap|Western Suburbs}}

| year1start = 1964

| year1end = 65

| appearances1 = 18

| tries1 = 1

| goals1 = 0

| fieldgoals1 = 0

| points1 = 4

| club2 = {{nowrap|Canterbury}}

| year2start = 1970

| year2end = 72

| appearances2 = 61

| tries2 = 11

| goals2 = 0

| fieldgoals2 = 0

| points2 = 33

| teamA = {{nowrap|Australia}}

| yearAstart = 1969

| yearAend = 71

| appearancesA = 3

| triesA = 0

| goalsA = 0

| fieldgoalsA = 0

| pointsA = 0

| updated = 6 February 2023

| source =

| new = yes

}}

Ron Costello (born 1942) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He played for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, New South Wales and for the Australian national side.[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/ron-costello/summary.html RugbyLeagueProject.org profile]

Playing career

From Shellharbour on the South Coast of New South Wales, Costello went to Shellharbour Public School (1948–1954), and then went to the Western Suburbs Magpies in Sydney and played lower grades in 1964–1965. He was signed by Collegians Wollongong RLFC (Illawarra Division) in 1967 by then coach Kevin Smyth (a former Kangaroo 1963). Collegians won the Club Championship and First Grade Premiership that season with Costello representing New South Wales. Costello played at Collegians in 1968 and in 1969 he was selected to play for Australia, becoming Kangaroo No.430,ARL Annual Report 2005, page 54 and toured New Zealand and appeared in one test. He was then signed by Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and played there for three seasons between 1970 and 1972. In 1970 he represented Australia again in the third Ashes test against Great Britain. At the end of that year he was selected to play in the World Cup. His final test appearance was against New Zealand in 1971. He returned to the Illawarra Competition in 1973 with the Port Kembla Club. He finished his career at Shellharbour in 1980 where it started.

Costello was named in the Illawarra Rugby League Team of the Century in 2010.

References

Sources

Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney

Category:1942 births

Category:Living people

Category:Australia national rugby league team players

Category:Australian rugby league players

Category:Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players

Category:Rugby league players from New South Wales

Category:Western Suburbs Magpies players

Category:Rugby league second-rows

Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen