His primary schooling was at St Mary's Goondiwindi where he excelled at sport, particularly athletics with his naturally talented brothers under his coach, Principal Bernard Holland. In secondary school he was educated at Downlands College in Toowoomba, Fairbanks played his senior club rugby for Easts Tigers and was invited to join the Reds Rugby College in 1997.[2] He made his Super 12 debut for the Queensland Reds in 2003 in a match against the Chiefs in Hamilton.[2] Later that year he was selected in the Australian Under 21s team.[3] His 2004 season for the Reds was troubled by a foot injury he sustained in the pre-season.[2]
Fairbanks signed with the Brumbies for the 2005 season,[3] scoring a try on debut against the Crusaders and he went on to earn eight caps for the season, starting in seven of those matches.[2] He played in eleven of the Brumbies' matches of the 2006 Super 14 season, and was subsequently included in the 2006 Wallabies squad.
After the 2009 Super 14 season, Fairbanks signed for the Japanese team Honda Heat for the 2009–10 Top League season, playing seven matches.[4][5]
He secured a two-year deal with the Western Force,[3] and played eight Super Rugby games in 2011, but was hindered by niggling injuries and did not play for the Force in 2012.[1][5]
Fairbanks moved to Japan at the end of 2012, joining the Top League club Kintetsu Liners,[4] where he played for three seasons. He now lives in Bowral, New South Wales.
