Mark Ella
Australia
player portrait
Full name Mark Gordon Ella
Born June 5, 1959, La Perouse, Sydney
Current age 64 years 288 days
Major teams World XV, Australia
Position Fly-half
Relations Brother - GJ Ella, Brother - GA Ella

Test career
Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
All Tests 1980-1984 25 25 0 78 6 3 8 8 13 11 1 54
Bledisloe Cup 1980-1984 10 10 0 40 1 3 8 2 4 6 0 40

Career statistics
Test debut Australia v New Zealand at Sydney, Jun 21, 1980 match details
Last Test Scotland v Australia at Murrayfield, Dec 8, 1984 match details
Test Statsguru Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Most tries | Tournament list
Profile

Regarded as one of the finest players Australia have ever produced, Mark Ella won 25 caps for the Wallabies between 1980 and 1984 - 10 of them as captain - and was described by team-mate David Campese as "the best rugby player I have ever known or seen".

A fly-half with exceptional skill, he was a star of the famous Australian schoolboys squad that toured Britain undefeated in 1978 and he returned to the United Kingdom in 1984 to mastermind the Wallabies' Grand Slam tour of the home countries, after which he never played for his country again, retiring at the age of 25.

His coaching career included spells with the Australia Sevens team - who he steered to abronze medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur - before returning as an assistant in 2008.

He was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1983 having been voted the Young Australian of the Year in 1982. In 2005 he was honoured as one of the inaugural five inductees into the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame and in 1995 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

After hanging up his boots, Ella pursued a career in media, writing articles for The Australian, The Sunday Telegraph and The Daily Telegraph as well as commentating on ABC Rugby.

Now a marketing and public relations specialist, his brothers - fullback Glen and centre Gary - also earned international honours and together they were stalwarts of the Randwick club in Sydney.

Latest Articles
Six Wallabies inducted into IRB Hall of Fame (Nov 19, 2013) Ella, Campese, Catchpole, Windon Invincibles (Jun 12, 2013) Moran honoured in Hall of Fame (Jul 15, 2011) The ruthless All Blacks, Test appearance records and the youngest Test player ever (Oct 25, 2010) Ella back in the Wallabies' fold (Oct 8, 2010) Mark Ella news and articles (10) »
Latest Photos
Nov 18, 2013
The new IRB Hall of Fame inductees, or those picking up the award on behalf of those honoured
The new IRB Hall of Fame inductees, or those picking up the award on behalf of those honoured
©  Getty Images
Oct 6, 2010
Former Wallaby Mark Ella casts an eye over training
Former Wallaby Mark Ella casts an eye over training
©  Getty Images
Dec 15, 1984
Australia's Mark Ella has a drink
Australia's Mark Ella has a drink
©  Getty Images
Dec 8, 1984
Mark Ella, David Campese and Andrew Slack celebrate victory over Scotland
Mark Ella, David Campese and Andrew Slack celebrate victory over Scotland
©  Getty Images
Mark Ella rugby photos (7) »

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