Personal background:

Born into a northern, working-class family, Austin's first sporting love was football. A doting supporter of Everton FC, his proudest moment was being a ball-boy at Goodison Park, with his most prized possession a piece of pitch he nicked that day!

Although many assume he was named after the Austin Healey car due to his parents' love of four wheels, it was in fact his grandfather, Sidney, who suggested the name. He was an offshore powerboat racer and had a passion for anything with a chassis. It puts paid to Martin Johnson's theory that Austin was conceived on the backseat of one!

Oz didn't enjoy school and was bullied due to his small physique as a youngster. Shorter than everyone else, he was the ideal target for schoolboy bullies. At least he was up until one day when he defended himself against a bully called Marvin. From then on the world saw a brand-new Austin - one who would land himself in trouble every day of the week.

Despite this, he formed a bond with two of his teachers: Joe Green and Martin Regan. Green was a second row forward in his prime, whilst Regan was an England Scrum-Half during 1953-1956. Had it not have been for Green, Oz would have been suspended from school several times had he not hinted how the rugby team not have suffered so much!

He excelled at sports and broke the 11 second 100 metre sprint when he clocked a time of 10.9 seconds. Between the ages of eight to 11, he participated in both football and rugby, meaning he could play up to four games in any given weekend, but by the time secondary school beckoned, rugby was the way forward.

Impressively, Healey still managed to obtain ten GCSEs at high grade (A to C) at St. Anselm's School, as well as three A' Levels, but by now his sporting career was set in concrete, and the rest, as they say, is history…

Career background:

By the time Austin was 16, he became somewhat of a rugby mercenary. Muscular and strong, yet fast and energetic, he held the characteristics necessary to make the perfect back player.

Playing for any team who would pay for his travel, Oz competed for the Hoylake team until joining Birkenhead Park - the ground where his thirst for rugby first materialised. He then went on to play for Waterloo and competed for his country with the under 21 squad in 1992.

Moving to Orrell shortly after head-butting Dorian West during a Waterloo v Nottingham game, Healey earned himself a place in England A and the Barbarians during 1996. His first full International came in 1997, when he took part in the Ireland v England game at Landsdowne Road on February 15th. By now, he had become a fully-fledged Tiger.

Talks with Leicester commenced in March 1996, and he signed with the team on June 1st. A key member to the squad, he provides versatility at the back of the pack - despite loathing this description of his talent! His favoured position is scrum-half, but it's not unusual to see him in fly-half or wing positions as well.

His best moment with the Tigers is arguably the performance he displayed at the 2001 Heineken Cup final against Stade Francais. Despite an earlier injury, meaning he was in incredible pain, he made the break in the 79th minute, which won the team the trophy; an example of Austin at his best.

He also earned the 1999/2000 English Player and Leicester Tigers Player of the Season award and has taken part in several Five/Six Nation Tournaments, as well as competing for the British Lions during the 1997 South Africa Test and the 2001 tour to Australia.

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