Robinson was raised in Eketāhuna in the Manawatū-Whanganui region and attended Tararua College.[1] He is of Maori descent on his mother's side and is cousin of All Blacks halfback Mark Robinson.[2]
A New Zealand Colt, Robinson competed mostly in the second row and occasionally as a flanker during his career. His early senior rugby was played with the short-lived Central Vikings and for Hawke's Bay, where he won the 2001 NPC Division Two Player of the Year award.[3] He was part of New Zealand Maori tours to Argentina in 2001 and Australia in 2002.[2] While playing with Taranaki, Robinson was called up by the Chiefs in 2003 and featured eight times during their Super 12 campaign.[4] He had several seasons in Japanese rugby with the Mitsubishi Dynaboars and played with Manawatu on his return home, before retiring in 2012 at the age of 34.[1][5][6]
Robinson coached the Palmerston North Old Boys Marist Premier team, winning the Manawatu club championship in 2017 and a losing finalist in 2022. He also coached the Manawatu Development team and the Manawatu Under 19 teams.[7]
In the 2023 and 2024 seasons Robinson coached Wairarapa Bush in the Heartland Championship. In the 2023 Heartland Championship Wairarapa Bush placed 6th in the round-robin stage and made the semi-finals of the Lochore Cup but lost 27-33 to West Coast Rugby Football Union. He stood down after the 2024 season in which Wairarapa Bush placed 10th in the round-robin stage, not progressing to the Lochore Cup.[8][9]