Beau Champion (born 23 December 1986 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League. His preferred playing position is at Centre aftert being groomed as a halfback in his debut year. Champion has represented City in the 2010 City v Country Origin as well as making the 2010 Indigenous All-Stars Squad.
His second cousin is Greg Inglis of South Sydney.
On 8 November, it was revealed that Champion's cousin Greg Inglis would most likely sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Champion, along with Rabbitohs owner and Australian actor Russell Crowe, Inglis's close friend Anthony Mundine and billionaire Andrew Forrest, were influences for Inglis's shock move to Redfern.
On 24 December, it was officially announced that Inglis had signed the contract with the Rabbitohs for three seasons, ironically at the expense of Champion, who signed with Melbourne Storm for the same period.
On 24 December Champion signed a 3 year deal with Melbourne Storm, ironically replacing and inheriting the position of his cousin Inglis. He left the Rabbitohs, having played in 70 games and scoring 33 tries and 5 goals.
On Friday the 13th of May Champion signed with the Gold Coast Titans, meaning that the 2011 NRL season will not only be his first season with the Melbourne Storm, it would also be his last. He played his last game with the Storm in their preliminary final loss to the New Zealand Warriors, with Champion scoring a try in the game. He left the Melbourne Storm, having played in 16 games and scoring 8 tries.
On January 8th, 2013 The South Sydney Rabbitohs announced that Beau Champion would be returning home to Redfern on a 2 year deal covering the 2013-2014 seasons. The Gold Coast Titans released Champion from the final two years of his contract to facilitate this. Titans coach John Cartwright was very supportive of Champion's decision to return to NSW saying "I think most people agree that you play your best football where you are happy and after sitting down and talking with Beau about this opportunity to go back to Souths, we fully understand his reasons why. His home is Redfern and he wanted to go so we wish him all the best for the future." Champion had an injury-plagued 2012 having only played 9 matches with 4 tries for the Titans.
Famous quotes containing the words beau and/or champion:
“This sort of adoration of the real
Is but a heightening of the beau ideal.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“What a terrible thing has happened to us all! To you there, to us here, to all everywhere. Peace who was becoming bright-eyed, now sits in the shadow of death; her handsome champion has been killed as he walked by her very side. Her gallant boy is dead. What a cruel, foul, and most unnatural murder! We mourn here with you, poor, sad American people.”
—Sean O’Casey (1884–1964)