John Schuster

John Schuster

Personal information
Born	(1964-01-17) 17 January 1964 Apia, Samoa
Playing information
Height	182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	83 kg (183 lb)
Rugby union
Position	Second five-eighth, Centre
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1987–89	New Zealand	10				4
1999	Samoa	3				17
Rugby league
Position	Centre, Wing
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1991–93	Newcastle Knights	47	16	101	0	266
1993–97	Halifax		50	399	5	1003
	Total	47	66	500	5	1269
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1995	Western Samoa	2	0	11	0	22
Source: Rugby League Project

Nesetorio Jonny Schuster (born 17 January 1964 in Apia, Samoa) is a Samoan former international rugby league and rugby union player, a dual-code international.

Rugby union

Schuster was from a prominent Samoan rugby family and though schooled in Wellington, he first represented internationally for Western Samoa in 1986. In 1987 he attained provincial selection in New Zealand while playing with the Marist Wellington club and toured Japan with the All Blacks, though not earning any test caps. In July 1988 he made his test debut for New Zealand in the first Bledisloe Cup test against Australia at Concord Oval. He scored a try and contributed to an outstanding team performance in a 32-7 victory.

He was a first choice at second five eighth all through 1989 playing tests against France, Argentina and Australia, and making the abridged British Isles tour where he played in internationals against Ireland and Scotland. All up he made twenty-six appearances for the All Blacks (ten Tests). Schuster is an assistant coach for the Japan Rugby Union team.

Rugby league

In 1990 he was part of an All Black exodus to Rugby League along with John Gallagher, Matthew Ridge and Frano Botica. He joined the Newcastle Knights in the New South Wales Rugby League competition playing 47 games and scoring 266 points from 1991–1993. He was a goal-kicker for the Knights (who had only been established in 1988), setting two early club records that were later beaten by Andrew Johns – greatest career points and most points in a season (152 in 1992). 1993 was an unhappy season for him with much of it spent in reserve grade and he shifted to English club Halifax and played there for some years.

He became a dual international at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup when he captained the Western Samoan team to a second-place finish in Group 3, though the team missed qualifying for the finals. Schuster played two games for Western Samoa during the World Cup. A 56–10 win over France in Cardiff, and a 10–22 loss to Wales in Swansea (the Welsh were led by another dual rugby international, Jonathan Davies). Schuster scored 22 points during the WC from 11 goals.

Return to Union

Schuster returned to union with Harlequins and gained 3 caps for Samoa in the 1999 Rugby World Cup scoring 17 points.

Sources

• Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney

External links

• World Cup 1995 details
• John Schuster at AllBlacks.com