Tulsen Tollett
Quick Facts
Biography
Tulsen Tollett (born 6 May 1973 in Hastings, England) is former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who currently works as a TV presenter for BBC World. A Great Britain international representative utility back, he played in Australia for Sydney's Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels clubs, before moving to England and playing for the London Broncos club.
Background
Tollett was born in Hastings, Sussex in the United Kingdom, but he moved with his family to Australia as a youngster.
Rugby league career
Tollett played at the Panthers and the Eels before joining the Broncos for the inaugural season of Super League in 1996. He played his junior football for Emu Plains.
After a successful first season in England, he was selected for the Great Britain squad to tour Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand.
Tollett's finest moments with the Broncos include:
- Playing in the side that beat top Australian side Canberra Raiders in Super League's World Club Championship series in 1997 (London chalked up a rare win by a European Super League side against their Australasian Super League counterparts in that year's competition)
- Being part of the first London side to reach a Rugby League Challenge Cup final, in 1999 against Leeds Rhinos at Wembley
- Being in the highest finishing London side (second, Super League 1997) in the club's (Fulham, London Crusaders, Broncos) history to date
- ^ Injury takes toll on Tollett BBC Sport, 29 November 2001
- ^ Broncos' Tollett calls it a day Wales Online, 30 November 2001
Rugby union career
Tollett also had spells in rugby union with English Premiership side Harlequins during 1997/98, as well as London Welsh in 1999/2000 during the Rugby League close season.
Media work
Tollett was forced to give up playing in 2001 due to a persistent shoulder injury. He then moved into the media and now presents sport on BBC World News. Previous to this he worked for ABC News 24 and ABC NewsRadio in Sydney and has also worked for BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports, Eurosport and Setanta Sports amongst others as a presenter, reporter or commentator, and worked as a pitchside reporter for TVH, the host broadcaster, at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France.
Personal life
Tollett also holds a Bachelor of Physical Education Teaching degree, as well as a First Dan Karate Black Belt.