Welcome to the official website of Steve Ricketts. After retiring as the Chief Rugby League writer for ‘The Courier-Mail’, Steve has embarked on a new venture by creating this website. With a journalistic career spanning back to 1971, Steve’s involvement with the game has been both extensive and passionate.
In his early years as a journalist, Steve played for Brothers in the Group 18 – Gold Coast competition while simultaneously filing reports on the games. He also contributed a weekly sports column to ‘The Daily News’. Upon relocating to Brisbane in 1975, Steve continued to cover the sport by filing stories for the Brisbane Rugby League program while working as a general reporter for ‘The Telegraph’. Eventually, in 1981, he transitioned to full-time sports reporting and has been covering every league season since.
Throughout his career, Steve has had the privilege of covering various significant events and tours in the world of Rugby League. He reported on the 1982 and ’86 Kangaroo tours, the Queensland Residents’ tours of New Zealand and France in 1988 and ’89 respectively, the Kangaroos’ 1996 visit to Papua New Guinea, the 1999 Tri-Nations in New Zealand, the 2000 World Cup in Britain, and the 2004 Tri-Nations in Britain. Additionally, he has covered domestic international matches, State of Origin series, Brisbane, Queensland Cup, NSWRL, ARL, Super League, and NRL grand finals.
Steve’s dedication to the sport goes beyond reporting. In 1990 and ’94, he led Kangaroo Supporters Tours to Britain, and in 1998 and 2002, he organised special interest tours throughout Europe and Britain, with a particular focus on French League history during the ’98 trip. In 2011, Steve delivered the second annual Harry Sunderland Address, titled ‘The French Connection,’ which commemorated the 60th anniversary of the first French tour of Australia.
Presently, Steve remains actively involved in Rugby League as a member of the QRL History Committee. Their primary long-term objective is the establishment of a Queensland Rugby League Museum, a project that Steve is committed to seeing come to fruition. Furthermore, he has organised a Supporters Tour to the 2013 World Cup in Britain, with the group’s departure from Brisbane scheduled for October 31.
Join us on this website to explore the rich history and captivating stories of Rugby League through the eyes of Steve Ricketts, a distinguished authority on the game. Discover engaging content, insightful articles, and stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the world of Rugby League.