{{short description|English rugby league footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Ade Adebisi |fullname = |image = Ade adebisi.jpg |caption = Ade Adebisi at his signing as the Brand Ambassador for Biomedomics Sickle Scan |position = {{rlp|FB|WG}} |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|7|1|df=y}} |height = {{convert|5|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|98|kg|st lb|abbr=on|order=flip}} |club1 = London Broncos |year1start = 2004 |year1end = 06 |appearances1 = 1 |tries1 = 0 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 0 |points1 = 0 |club2 = → Hull F.C. |year2start = 2005<small>(loan)</small> |year2end = |appearances2 = 0 |tries2 = 0 |goals2 = 0 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 0 |club3 = → London Skolars |year3start = 2006<small>(loan)</small> |year3end = |appearances3 = 1 |tries3 = 0 |goals3 = 0 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 0 |club4 = Doncaster Lakers |year4start = 2007 |year4end = |appearances4 = 9 |tries4 = 5 |goals4 = 0 |fieldgoals4 = 0 |points4 = 20 |club5 = {{nowrap|Featherstone Rovers}} |year5start = 2007 |year5end = |appearances5 = 11 |tries5 = 5 |goals5 = 0 |fieldgoals5 = 0 |points5 = 20 |club6 = Whitehaven |year6start = 2008 |year6end = 09 |appearances6 = 49 |tries6 = 32 |goals6 = 0 |fieldgoals6 = 0 |points6 = 128 |club7 = London Skolars |year7start = 2010 |year7end = 13 |appearances7 = 67 |tries7 = 52 |goals7 = 0 |fieldgoals7 = 0 |points7 = 208 |new = yes |retired = yes |updated = 24 February 2018 |source = <ref name="Statistics at loverugbyleague.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/stats/players/ade-adebisi|title=Statistics at loverugbyleague.com|publisher=loverugbyleague.com|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018|archive-date=25 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225064814/https://www.loverugbyleague.com/stats/players/Ade-Adebisi/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/ade-adebisi/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref> }} '''Ade Adebisi''' (born 1 July 1986) is a British rugby league footballer. He played at representative level for (BARLA) Young Lions against France, and was selected for the 2011 Championship 1 All Stars team. At club level he played for the London Skolars (two spells), in 2004 for the London Broncos, Hull F.C. (loan, Academy), Doncaster Lakers,<ref name="Statistics at robterrace.com">{{cite web|url=http://robterrace.com/dons/player.php?PID=934|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224232639/http://robterrace.com/dons/player.php?PID=934|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 February 2018|title=Statistics at robterrace.com|publisher=robterrace.com|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Featherstone Rovers and Whitehaven in National League One (reserve grade), as a {{rlp|fb}} or {{rlp|wg}}.

Adebisi suffers from the genetic blood disorder sickle-cell disease and is the only known rugby player ever to play professionally with the condition.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |title='How I use rugby to fight sickle cell stigma' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-50256942 |access-date=2022-03-02}}</ref> He is an ambassador for the Sickle Cell Society and the founder of the Ade Adebisi Sickle Cell Foundation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2019-06-07 |title=In a league of his own |url=https://guardian.ng/guardian-angels/in-a-league-of-his-own/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2022-03-02 |newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-US}}</ref> Adebisi also leads the Nigeria rugby league revolution as general manager/vice chairman. The former professional spent two years between 2017 and 2019 working to get the African nation involved with the 13-a-side code for no money. Under his leadership, Nigeria was chosen to host the Middle East Africa rugby league championship in October 2019.<ref name="London Skolars winger Ade Adebisi winning battles on and off the pitch">{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/london-skolars-winger-ade-adebisi-winning-battles-on-and-off-the-pitch-8381109.html|title=London Skolars winger Ade Adebisi winning battles on and off the pitch|newspaper=Evening Standard|publisher=standard.co.uk|date=4 December 2012|accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="Long cleared to play">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2386502/Long-cleared-to-play.html|title=Long cleared to play|first=John|last= Whalley|newspaper=The Telegraph|publisher=telegraph.co.uk|date=4 December 2012|accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="Profile at whitehavenrl.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.whitehavenrl.co.uk/player.php?id=5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709095206/http://www.whitehavenrl.co.uk/player.php?id=5 |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 July 2009 |title=Profile at whitehavenrl.co.uk|publisher=whitehavenrl.co.uk|date=4 December 2012|accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref>

==Playing career==

===London Broncos=== In 2002, Adebisi, a promising schoolboy athlete and footballer joined the London Broncos development programme before signing up for their junior academy team the following season. In 2004, as well as representing the BARLA Young Lions against France, he also made his debut for London in Super League. Limited opportunities at senior level led to a spell on loan to Hull F.C. where he played in their successful 2005 academy side.

===Doncaster Lakers & Featherstone=== His association with the London club ended in 2007, when he signed initially for Doncaster before moving to Featherstone for the last 11 games of the season.

His first year at the Recre was a great success and he finished the season as the club's top try scorer. Together with teammate Craig Calvert, Haven had two of the most potent wingmen in the Championship.

===Whitehaven RLFC=== In 2008, he joined Whitehaven R.L.F.C. from the 2007 National League Two winning side, Featherstone Rovers. While at Whitehaven R.L.F.C., he was their top try scorer in 2008, with 22 tries in 30 games.

===London Skolars=== In 2010, Adebisi returned to London Skolars, following his release by Whitehaven, scoring 51 tries in 66 games through to 2013.

==Retirement== [[File:Ade and bbc africa.jpg|thumb|right|BBC Sports Africa interviewing Ade Adebisi at the Nigeria Rugby League training camp in Lagos, Nigeria.]] In 2014, following a struggle with injuries and sickle cell disease, Adebisi retired from playing professional rugby league.

==References== {{Reflist|30 em}}

==External links== * {{Cite web |url=http://www.africainterviews.com/ade-adebisi |title=Ade Adebisi at africainterviews.com |access-date=2018-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225065459/http://www.africainterviews.com/ade-adebisi |archive-date=2018-02-25 |url-status=bot: unknown }} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dObuapoAQgo Ade Adebisi] at youtube.com *[https://www.facebook.com/RugbyLeagueNigeria/videos/720067964738280 Ade Adebisi] at facebook.com

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Adebisi, Ade}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Doncaster R.L.F.C. players Category:English people of Nigerian descent Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent Category:English rugby league players Category:Featherstone Rovers players Category:London Broncos players Category:London Skolars players Category:Rugby league fullbacks Category:Rugby league wingers Category:Whitehaven R.L.F.C. players