Tim Fairbrother

{{Short description|New Zealand rugby player (born 1982)}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{infobox rugby biography

| image = TIM FAIRBROTHER.jpg

| caption =Fairbrother in 2007

| alt =

| birth_name = Tim Fairbrother

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|03|12|df=y}}

| birth_place = Upper Hutt, New Zealand

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|1.83|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|112|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}{{cite web |url= http://www.quins.co.uk/rugby/harlequins_rugby_union_1st_xv.php?player=11200&includeref=dynamic|title=Harlequins 1st XV |publisher=Harlequins website|accessdate=2012-07-16}}

| school = St. Patrick‘s College, Silverstream

| university =

| relatives =

| occupation =

| ru_currentteam =

| ru_position = Tighthead prop

| youthyears1 =  

| ru_clubyears =
2001–03
2003–09
2009–11
2011–12

| ru_proclubs =
Wellington
Hurricanes
Western Force
Harlequins

| ru_clubcaps =
()
53
23
13

| ru_clubpoints =
()
(5)
(20)
(0)

| super14years =  

| ru_nationalyears =  

| repsevensyears1 =  

}}

Tim Fairbrother (born 12 March 1982) is a New Zealand rugby union player, his position was tighthead prop.

Fairbrother featured through the New Zealand rugby junior representative team setup and made his first class debut for local Province Wellington at just 19. Two years later he was called up to play for Regional side the Hurricanes in the then Super 14. Fairbrother played for the Hurricanes for seven years but was plagued by injury, including missing almost the entire 2007 Super Rugby season, and was unable to break into the All Blacks squad.{{cite web |url= http://www.hurricanes.co.nz/team/players/tim-fairbrother|title=Tim Fairbrother Profile |publisher=Hurricanes website|accessdate=2012-07-16}}

In 2009, Fairbrother left New Zealand for Australia, signing for the Western Force on a two-year contract. Tim is qualified to play for Australia (and England) through his grandparents but was not selected by the Wallabies coaches and, feeling he had "[given] it [his] best crack",{{cite web |url= http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2011/03/28/tim-fairbrother-to-leave-force/|title=Tim Fairbrother to Leave Force |publisher=Sports News First website|accessdate=2012-07-16}} decided to move on again joining Harlequins.

Fairbrother was the most experienced front row player at Harlequins. He came off the bench in the first round of the 2011–12 Aviva Premiership and proceeded to start in the following 5 games, but his season was interrupted by injury twice and he missed the last three months the season.{{cite web |url= http://www.quins.co.uk/rugby/harlequins_rugby_union_1st_xv.php?player=11200&includeref=dynamic|title=Tim Fairbrother Player Profile |publisher=Quins website|accessdate=2012-07-16}}

Following the first round of the 2012–13 season Harlequins announced that the club had agreed to release Fairbrother from his contract to allow him to return to New Zealand.{{cite web |url= http://www.quins.co.uk/news/6421.php|title=Tim Fairbrother to return to New Zealand |publisher=Quins website |date=4 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909014821/http://www.quins.co.uk/news/6421.php |archive-date=9 September 2012}}