Stephen Frederick Streeter

Steve Streeter was one of the great servants of New South Wales Country rugby. A strapping, hard-running winger who was born and bred in the Southern Highlands, Streeter attended Bowral High School from where he represented NSW Schoolboys’ Rugby League in his final two years. A chance invitation by Jim Hindmarsh (Wallaby #582) saw Streeter play his first rugby at the Kiama Sevens in 1975.

Streeter’s Bowral Blacks played Randwick in the final and an invitation was extended for him to attend a country training camp in Sydney the following weekend. From there, he was selected in the NSW Country Seconds to play City Seconds. Later that year he was part of the Wallaby Trophy winning Country Firsts and then made his debut for New South Wales against Queensland at North Sydney Oval in what was the final trial for the Sixth Wallabies tour to Britain.

In 1976 Streeter represented Australia at the inaugural Hong Kong 7s. Two years later he was one of three wingers alongside Brendan Moon and Paddy Batch to be selected for the Wallaby to tour New Zealand and made his debut in Wellington. Australia suffered a narrow 12-13 defeat however the selectors made three changes in the backline for Christchurch, one of which was Streeter, and Moon came into the side for his debut. Unfortunately, in the very next match of the tour, Streeter was heavily concussed in a tackle near the end of the 8-3 victory over Wanganui. Slammed into an opponent’s thigh while attempting a tackle he suffered a muscular spasm and briefly swallowed his tongue. As a consequence Streeter had an electroencephalogram as a precautionary measure but was unable to play again on tour.

Streeter represented NSW Country in 87 matches, 50 as captain.

Highlights

1976

Represented Australia, a.k.a. ‘The Wallaroos’, at the Hong Kong 7s.

1977

The Wallabies did not play a Test match in 1977.

1978

Streeter won his first Test cap on the left wing in the 1st Test, 12-13 loss to New Zealand in Wellington.