Simon Paul Poidevin (born 31 October 1958) is a former Australian rugby union player who played as a flanker. Poidevin made his Test debut for Australia against Fiji during the 1980 tour of Fiji. He was a member of the Wallabies side that defeated New Zealand 2–1 in the 1980 Bledisloe Cup series. He toured with the Eighth Wallabies for the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland that won rugby union's "grand slam", the first Australian side to defeat all four home nations, England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, on a tour. He made his captaincy debut for the Wallabies in a two-Test series against Argentina in 1986, substituting for the absent Andrew Slack. He was a member of the Wallabies on the 1986 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand that beat the All Blacks, one of six international teams and second Australian team to win a Test series in New Zealand. During the 1987 Rugby World Cup, he overtook Peter Johnson as Australia's most capped Test player against Japan, captaining the Wallabies for the third time in his 43rd cap. He captained the Wallabies on a fourth and final occasion on the 1987 Australia rugby union tour of Argentina before injury ended his tour prematurely. In 1988, he briefly retired from international rugby, reversing his decision 42 days later ahead of the 1988 Bledisloe Cup series. Following this series, Poidevin returned to the Australian side for the single 1989 Bledisloe Cup Test. He returned full-time to the Australian national squad for the 1991 season. Poidevin was a member of the Wallabies that won the 1991 Rugby World Cup, after which he retired from international rugby union.

Poidevin is one of only four Australian rugby union players, along with David Campese, Michael Lynagh and Nick Farr-Jones, to have won rugby union's Grand Slam, achieved a series victory in New Zealand, and won a Rugby World Cup.

Poidevin married Robin Fahlstom in 1995 and they have three sons.

Early life Simon Paul Poidevin was born on 31 October 1958 to Ann (née Hannan) and Paul Poidevin at Goulburn Base Hospital in Goulburn, New South Wales. He is the third of five children. His two older siblings are named Andrew and Jane, and his two younger siblings are called Joanne and Lucy. Poidevin's surname comes from Pierre Le Poidevin, a French sailor who was imprisoned by the English in the 1820s, but eventually settled in Australia and married an Irish woman. Poidevin was raised on a farm titled "Braemar", which is a 360-hectare property located on Mummell Road just outside of Goulburn, New South Wales, on which his family raised fat lambs and cattle.

Poidevin's family has a history containing many sporting achievements. His grandfather on his mother's side of his family, Les Hannan, was a rugby union player and obtained selection for the 1908–09 Australia rugby union tour of Britain. However, he broke his leg before the team departed from Australia and missed the tour. Hannan later fought in World War I in the 1st Light Horse Brigade, where he served as a stretcher bearer.

Poidevin's father's cousin, Dr Leslie Oswald Poidevin, was an accomplished cricketer, hitting 151 for New South Wales against McLaren's MCC side, and during the 1918–19 season he became the first Australian to score a century at all levels of cricket. He later became co-founder of the inter-club cricket competition in Sydney known as the Poidevin-Gray Shield. Dr Lesile Oswald Poidevin was also an accomplished tennis player. While studying medicine in Great Britain, he won the Swiss tennis championship and also played in the Davis Cup. In 1906, he represented Australasia with New Zealander, Anthony Wilding, when they were beaten by the United States at Newport, Wales. After this loss, Poidevin traveled to Lancashire to play cricket, where he made a century for his county the following day. Dr Leslie Oswald Poidevin's son, Dr Leslie Poidevin, was also an accomplished tennis player who won the singles tennis championship at Sydney University six years in a row between 1932 and 1937.

Poidevin's eldest sibling, Andrew, obtained a scholarship to study at Chevalier College at Bowral, where he represented NSW schoolboys playing rugby union. He went on to play rugby union for the Australian National University, ACT U-23s at breakaway, and later played with Simon for the University of New South Wales.

Poidevin's first school was the Our Lady of Mercy preparatory school in Goulburn where he was introduced to rugby league. He played for an under-6 team that was coached by Jeff Feeney, the father of the well-known motorbike rider, Paul Feeney. For his primary education, Poidevin attended St Patrick's College (now Trinity Catholic College), where rugby league was the only football code. His first team at St Patrick's College was the under-10s. During his childhood, Poidevin played rugby league with Gavin Miller, who would go on to play rugby league for the Australia national rugby league team, New South Wales rugby league team and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

Poidevin changed football codes and played rugby union when he moved into senior school at St Patrick's College, where rugby union was the only form of rugby played. Poidevin made the school's 1st XV in his penultimate year at school and the team remained undefeated throughout the season. Following this, Poidevin made the ACT schools representative team for the Australian schools championship in Melbourne. The ACT schools representative team defeated New South Wales, but lost the final the Queensland.

Upon finishing school he played a season with the Goulburn Rugby Union Football Club and then, in 1978, he moved to Sydney to study at the University of New South Wales, from which he graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science (Hons).Faculty of Science Hall of Fame , University of New South Wales. He made his first grade debut with the university's rugby union team in 1978. In 1982 he moved clubs to Randwick, the famous Galloping Greens, home of the Ella brothers and many other Wallabies.

Rugby Union career

1979

New South Wales

In 1979 Poidevin made his state debut for New South Wales, replacing an injured Greg Craig for New South Wales’ return match against Queensland at T.G. Milner Field. Queensland defeated New South Wales 24–3.

1980

In 1980 Poidevin went on his first overseas rugby tour with the University of NSW to the west coast of North America. The tour included games against the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Stanford, UCLA, Long Beach State and Berkeley.

Sydney

Following the 1980 University of NSW tour to the west coast of America, Poidevin achieved selection for the Sydney rugby team coached by former Wallaby Peter Crittle. Shortly following this selection, the Sydney rugby side completed a brief tour to New Zealand, that included matches against Waikato, Thames Valley and Auckland. Sydney won all three games, including a 17–9 victory over Auckland. After returning to Australia from New Zealand, Poidevin participated in three preparatory matches Sydney played against Victoria, the ACT and the President's XV – all won convincingly by Sydney. Poidevin then played in Sydney's seventh game of their 1980 season against NSW Country, won 66–3. Poidevin popped the AC joint in his shoulder in the match against NSW Country when Country forward Ross Reynolds fell on top of him while he was at the bottom of a ruck. Due to this injury, Poidevin missed the interstate match between New South Wales and Queensland in 1980, which New South Wales won 36–20 – their first victory over Queensland since 1975.

Australia rugby union tour of Fiji

Shortly following Sydney's win against NSW Country, Poidevin achieved national selection for the 1980 Australia rugby union tour of Fiji. Poidevin concealed his shoulder injury, sustained in the Sydney match against NSW Country, from the Australian team management, so he could play for Australia.

Poidevin made his Australian debut in the Wallabies' first provincial match of the tour against Western Unions on 17 May 1980, which Australia won 25–11. Poidevin played in Australia's second game against Eastern Unions, won 46–14.

Poidevin made his Test debut for Australia following these two provincial matches against Fiji on 24 May 1980, won by Australia 22–9.

1980 Bledisloe Cup Test Series

Following the 1980 Australia rugby union tour of Fiji, Poidevin played in six consecutive matches against New Zealand – for Australian Universities, Sydney, NSW and in three Tests for the Wallabies.

Poidevin played in the first match of the 1980 New Zealand rugby union tour of Australia and Fiji for Sydney against New Zealand, which was drawn 13–13. Shortly thereafter he played for New South Wales against New Zealand in the All Blacks' fifth match of the tour. New Zealand won the game 12–4.

Poidevin played in Australia's first Test of the 1980 Bledisloe Cup against New Zealand, won 13–9 by the Wallabies. Australia lost the second Test 12–9, in which Poidevin sustained a cut on his face after being rucked across the head by All Black Gary Knight.

Poidevin played for Australian Universities in New Zealand's 10th match of the tour, which was lost 33–3.

However, Poidevin played in the third and deciding Test of the 1980 Bledisloe Cup – his sixth consecutive match played against New Zealand in 1980 – won 26–10.

The series victory over New Zealand in 1980 was the first time Australia had ever retained the Bledisloe Cup, which they had won in 1979 in a one-off Test. It was the first three-Test series victory Australia had ever achieved over New Zealand since 1949, and the first three-Test series they had won against New Zealand on Australian soil since 1934.

1981

In 1981, Poidevin toured Japan with the Australian Universities rugby union team. Australian Universities won four games against Japan's university teams, but lost the final game against All Japan by one point.

Sydney

Following his brief tour of Japan, Poidevin was selected for the Sydney team to play against a World XV that included players such as New Zealand's Bruce Robertson, Hika Reid and Andy Haden, Wales’ Graham Price, Argentina's Alejandro Iachetti and Hugo Porta and Australia's Mark Loane. The game ended in a 16–16 draw.

Following this match Sydney undertook a procession of representative games that included playing Queensland at Ballymore. Sydney's unbeaten streak of 14 games was broken by Queensland after they defeated Sydney 30–4, scoring four tries. Sydney then lost to New Zealand side Canterbury before responding by defeating Auckland and NSW Country – both games were played at Redfern Oval.

New South Wales

Poidevin was then selected to play for New South Wales in a succession of the matches in 1981. The first match against Manawatu was won 58–3, with NSW scoring 10 tries. Victories over Waikato and Counties followed, before New South Wales were defeated by Queensland 26–15 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. New South Wales played Queensland in a return match a week later in Brisbane that was won 7–6.

1981 France rugby union tour of Australia

Poidevin played for Sydney against France in the third game France played for their 1981 France rugby union tour of Australia, won by Sydney 16–14. Poidevin then played for New South Wales against France for the fifth match of France's Australia tour, lost 21–12.

Poidevin achieved national selection for the two-Test series against France, despite competition for back row positions in the Australian team. The first Test against France marked the first time Poidevin played with Australian eighthman Mark Loane and contained the first try Poidevin scored at international Test level. In his biography, For Love Not Money, written with Jim Webster, Poidevin recalls that: