Adam Fogerty: How A Boxer Turned To Rugby

There have been countless examples throughout history of sporting stars that have transferred their skills to another sport. However, few have made the bridge between boxing and rugby appear as seamless as Adam Fogerty. The star made a name for himself in both sports, before turning his attention to new targets following the end of his professional career.

His success across two different sports wouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to relatively, as he came from a very sporting family. That includes his father, Terry, who played rugby league throughout the 1960s and 70s, before coaching throughout the 80s. However, how did Fogerty make the seamless transition from boxing to rugby?

Early Career of Adam Fogerty

Fogerty was born in Halifax in March 1969, and he immediately had a passion for all things sport. However, his sporting future was put at risk after his family decided to move to the Isle of Man in the early 1980s. As an area with limited sporting success, Fogerty was forced to take on challenges that he never would have imagined.

However, it was during this time that he would make his first inroads into the sport of rugby, as he became the youngest ever player to represent the Isle of Man in a major tournament, aged just 15. If you love rugby like Adam did you can find some fun rugby games here: https://www.oval3.game/news/rugby-games-online

Nonetheless, his attention would soon shift to the boxing ring, ending his career in rugby for the time being.

Adam Fogerty In Boxing

Fogerty’s attention turned to boxing in the early 80s, and he enjoyed a fine professional debut outing after beating Carlton Headley by TKO in 1987. His dominance in that fight saw him floor his rival on four occasions.

He would later after a fine debut against John Fury, scoring a points success in Halifax in April 1987. Fogerty was happy to take on huge challenges throughout his career, evident from the fact that he fought on three occasions in Australia throughout 1988. His first win was scored by TKO against Mandingo, before another stoppage success following against Arzan Basic in Sydney.

However, his first setback in the sport was suffered back in Halifax, as he was beaten on points by Paul Lister in April 1989. But, he quickly bounced back to winning ways with a dominant success against Rocky Burton. His ability to end fights quickly and emphatically were more evident than ever after that first professional defeat, as he scored TKO wins against Rick Kellar, Tim Morrison, and John Westgarth.

Those wins ultimately set up a rematch against Lister in 1990, as Fogerty avenged his only professional debut with a stunning stoppage success. His boxing career would come to an end in 1991, as he scored two final professional victories against Marshall Tillman and Tracy Thomas.

Return To Boxing

Fogerty decided to end his boxing career in the early 90s, as he switched his focus back to his first love. His return to rugby saw him join his hometown club of Halifax, as he scored seven tries across a two-season stay with the team. However, it was clear to all that he was cut out to play at a higher standard, meaning it wasn’t a shock when he moved to Super League side St. Helens in 1993.

Fogerty would enjoy an excellent four-year stay with the team, winning the Super League and scoring 13 tries in 69 appearances for the team. His success in the division would continue for one final season in 1998, as he played four times for the Warrington Wolves. A final rugby move would follow later in the same year, as he played six times for the Keighley Cougars.

His love for the sport has continued throughout recent history, as he agreed to take an assistant coach role with the Toronto Wolfpack. But, the star has constantly refused to rule out a return to the Super League in a coaching role for one of the top teams that he has previously played for.

Other Ventures

During the time for his rugby league career, the star also took his first steps into acting. His first roles would see him play supporting characters in films such as Played and Shooting Fish, before he played a role alongside Brad Pitt in Guy Ritchie’s Snatch. Fogerty continued to enjoy heights in his acting career throughout the 90s, after being cast in cult classics such as Greenfingers and Mean Machine.

However, he would also become a household name in the UK with television views after appearing in soaps such as Coronation Street and Hollyoaks. One of his most recent acting roles saw him play alongside Tom Hardy in Legend, with his most recent appearance in a film coming in the 2018 release of Walk Like A Panther. Fogerty recently returned to our screens in 2023 after playing James Broadbent in the three-part series The Gallows Pole.