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Paul Vautin (born 21 July 1959), nicknamed Fatty, is a former Australian rugby commentator and former professional rugby league player, captain and coach. He has provided commentary for the Nine Network's coverage of rugby league since joining the network in 1992 and also hosted The Footy Show from its beginnings in 1994 opposite co-host Peter Sterling, until 2017. An Australian Kangaroos test and Queensland State of Origin representative lock or second-row forward, Vautin played club rugby in Brisbane with Wests Panthers, before moving to Sydney in 1979 to play with Manly-Warringah, whom he would captain to the 1987 NSWRL premiership. He also played for Sydney's Sydney Roosters, and in England for St Helens.
After playing, Vautin became a sports commentator for the Nine Network, calling rugby league games alongside Ray Warren and the recently retired Peter Sterling. Later, during the Super League war, he was hired to coach Queensland in the 1995 State of Origin series and took the Maroons to an upset 3–0 whitewash of series favourite New South Wales.
After 46 years in the public eye having started his first grade career in 1978, Paul Vautin announced his retirement from commentating for channel 9 on 1 December 2024.
Vautin was signed by Manly-Warringah club Secretary Ken Arthurson in late 1978 after Arthurson had viewed a tape of him scoring a 75-metre try from a scrum for Wests at Lang Park, and moved from Brisbane to play for the defending NSWRFL premiers starting in 1979.
Before signing with Manly, Vautin had offers from both Cronulla Sharks, and North Sydney who's coach, former Great Britain (and Cronulla) halfback Tommy Bishop actually visited the Vautin home in Brisbane and made an offer of AU$7,500 per season (according to Vautin, at the time he was on $100 per game with Wests Panthers). His father wished him to sign for Norths as it was more money than even he made as a train driver, but the Panthers got their hooks into it wanting money for their investment into Vautin and put a $6,000 transfer fee on their teenage back rower, which made Norths pull their offer. Within two days Vautin had signed with Manly for $6,000 per season who were more than happy to pay the transfer fee. According to Vautin, he told his father that he would probably last three years in Manly's reserve grade before coming back to resume his career with Wests. Turn it Up: Fatty tells all on his career on the Sunday Footy Show 2024
After playing Reserve Grade for Manly in the opening round of the 1979 season, against St. George at Kogarah Oval, Vautin was chosen on the bench for First Grade, going on early when tough-tackling Terry Randall came off injured. Although the reigning premiers ultimately lost 9–34 to that seasons eventual Premiers, Vautin played well enough to be called upon to take Randall's place in the side over the coming weeks, playing second row until Igor returned from injury in Round 6, then moving to his preferred lock for the remainder of the season.
Vautin went on to play in grand finals with Manly in 1982 and 1983, going down to Parramatta both times. In 1983 he was the Dally M Second Rower of the Year and the Dally M Representative Player of the Year. Dally M Second Rower of the Year Dally M Representative Player of the Year
Vautin was named captain of Manly-Warringah in 1985 by coach Bob Fulton.
Vautin enjoyed success in leading Manly to an 18–8 victory over the Canberra Raiders in the 1987 Grand Final, the last played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Before the 1987 season had started, the Manly club board had wanted Bob Fulton to install 1986 Kangaroo tour second rower Noel Cleal as club captain , replacing Vautin who had captained the side since 1985. Vautin won the Dally M Captain of the Year award for 1987. Dally M Captain of the Year
Following the grand final victory in 1987, he traveled with Manly to England for the 1987 World Club Challenge against their champions, Wigan Warriors. The home side won a try-less game 8–2 at Central Park. 1987 World Club Challenge - Wigan vs Manly-Warringah During the match, Vautin was tackled over the sideline in front of the main grandstand. After easily being the best side in the Sydney competition during the year, and after the unbeaten 1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France, the Manly players later admitted to over-confidence and took the game far too lightly, treating the trip more as a holiday than anything serious and actually continued their grand final celebrations while in England. Wigan v Manly - 1987 World Club Challenge highlights
In 1984, Vautin and Manly teammate Chris Close became the last Queensland representative players to be selected for the annual NSW City vs NSW Country game, when he was selected in the second row for NSW City for the game at the SCG, won 38–12 by City.
For the next nine years, he played for Queensland with the exception of 1986 when he missed 3 months of the 1986 season after breaking his arm against Penrith Panthers in Round 8 of the season at Brookvale Oval.
Game 1 of the 1990 series was Vautin's last game of State of Origin as he was dumped after Queensland lost 0–8 to NSW after having won both the previous two series 3–0.
He returned to the test team for Australia's mid-season tour to New Zealand in 1983, and in 1984 was selected for the second Ashes Test against Great Britain at Lang Park, copping an accidental elbow to the face from replacement Mick Adams as he tackled the Lions forward, resulting in a fractured cheekbone during the 18–6 win which saw Australia retain The Ashes. Vautin's injury kept him out of the third test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and caused him to miss 11 games of the 1984 NSWRL season.
Vautin played 13 test matches during his career, touring New Zealand twice in 1985 and 1989. In addition to the thirteen tests he played for Australia, he played two tour games in New Zealand in 1985 and three tour games in 1989.
Vautin was selected for Australia in their successful 1988 Ashes series against the Great Britain tourists. He then played from the bench in Australia's record 70–8 win in their final 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup round game over Papua New Guinea in Wagga Wagga, but despite some good end of season form for Manly ultimately missed selection for the World Cup Final where Australia defeated New Zealand 25–12 at the Eden Park stadium in Auckland.
Vautin was the vice-captain of Australia's mid-season tour of New Zealand in 1989, captaining the team in three tour games (Wally Lewis was the tour and test captain). Vautin captained the Australian team (now coached by Bob Fulton) to a 50–18 win over a New Zealand XIII at the Palmerston North Showgrounds in the opening game of the tour. He would later captain the side in another tour game against Auckland for the only loss of the tour, the Australians surprised 26–24 at Carlaw Park (the Kangaroos first non-test loss since the Bob Fulton captained, Frank Stanton coached 1978 Kangaroo tourists lost to 10–11 Widnes Vikings), before captaining the team from the unfamiliar position of for a 28–10 win over Wellington at the Basin Reserve.
During his career, Vautin often had to compete with players such as Ray Price, Wayne Pearce and fellow Queenslander Bob Lindner for the Australian Lock-forward position, and as such was often selected in the second row. Of his 13 test matches, Vautin played 7 in the second row, 5 at lock and one, the win over PNG in 1988, from the bench. His final test, a 22–14 win over New Zealand at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland in the first game of the 1989–1992 World Cup, saw him wearing his favoured No.13 (lock) jumper.
With the Super League players available for selection in the 1996 State of Origin series, Queensland were rated a chance of retaining their crown but lost the series 0–3. After losing the 1997 series 1–2, Vautin was replaced as Queensland coach the following year by Wayne Bennett.
On 1 December 2024, Vautin announced this retirement from commentating, thus ending his tenure at Channel 9. He had claimed that he had 'run out of petrol' but was known for some of his comments towards the direction that the game was going in, especially during the 2024 State of Origin series.
From 1992 to 2004, he was a mainstay of the Channel Nine match commentary team along with Peter Sterling and Ray Warren, calling club, Origin and international games. Since the concussion incident, he had focussed on his Footy Show appearances but was still part of the broader Nine expert commentary team for big fixtures like the State of Origin.
Speculation existed that 2017 would be Vautin's last season as host of The Footy Show. In October 2017, Vautin was axed from The Footy Show.
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