Zac Laybutt
PNG international rugby league footballer
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Zac Laybutt (born 16 January 2002) is a Papua New Guinea international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 16 January 2002 Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg (14 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 2 November 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Bundaberg State High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Kyle Laybutt (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background
Laybutt was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, and is of Papua New Guinean and Indigenous descent.[2][3] He attended Bundaberg State High School and played his junior rugby league for the Western Suburbs Panthers before being signed by the Melbourne Storm.[4][5]
Laybutt's older brother Kyle played two NRL games for the North Queensland Cowboys.[6]
Playing career
In 2018, Laybutt represented the Queensland Murri under-16 team in their 36–26 win over New South Wales Koori.[7][8] In 2019, he joined the Sunshine Coast Falcons, playing for their Mal Meninga Cup team.[9]
In 2021, Laybutt signed for the North Queensland Cowboys, joining their Young Guns squad.[10] That season he played for the Townsville Blackhawks in the Hastings Deering Colts competition, starting at centre in their Grand Final loss to the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.[11]
In 2021, he returned to Cairns, joining the Northern Pride's under-21 side and the North Queensland Cowboys Young Guns squad.[12] In 2022, he played for Townsville in the Colts and Queensland Cup.[13] On 24 September 2022, he captained the Blackhawks in the Colts' Grand Final win over the Redcliffe Dolphins.[14]
2023
Laybutt spent the pre-season training with the Cowboys' NRL squad, coming off the interchange in their pre-season draw with the Dolphins.[15][16] In round 13 of the 2023 NRL season, Laybutt made his first grade debut against the Parramatta Eels.[17][18] In round 26, Laybutt scored two tries for North Queensland in their 34-10 victory over the Dolphins.[19] He was selected to play for the PNG Kumuls alongside his older brother Kyle Laybutt (captain) and won the Pacific (Bowl) championship in PNG against the Fiji Batis 32-12.
2024
In round 1 of the 2024 NRL season, Laybutt scored two tries for North Queensland in their 43-18 victory over the Dolphins.[20] On 9 April, it was announced that Laybutt would miss the rest of the 2024 NRL season after suffering an ACL injury.[21]
2025
On 4 June, North Queensland announced that Laybutt had re-signed with the team until the end of the 2027 season.[22] Laybutt played 14 games for North Queensland in the 2025 NRL season as the club finished 12th on the table.[23]
Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Goals | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |  North Queensland Cowboys |
4 | 3 | 12 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 2025 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 22 | |
| 2026 | |||||
| Totals | 22 | 9 | 5 | 44 |
