Emre Guler
A Turkish-Australian prop forward who bulldozed a path from local Sydney fields to the NRL and international rugby league.
Born 1998 (age 28)·Turkey international rugby league player·Birthday: January 19·Generation Z
Biography
Emre Guler's story is a modern rugby league journey, born in Australia to Turkish parents and forging his career in the world's toughest competition. A product of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs junior system, his powerful frame and work ethic were evident early. His breakthrough came not with the Bulldogs, but with the Canberra Raiders, where he developed into a reliable and hard-running front-rower. Guler's consistency earned him a contract with the St George Illawarra Dragons, placing him in the heart of NRL territory. His dual heritage opened a unique international door; he became a cornerstone of the emerging Turkish national team, representing his ancestral homeland in European Championships. His career embodies the global pathways opening in rugby league, where identity and opportunity collide on the field.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Emre was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Emre Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Emre's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Made his NRL debut for the Canberra Raiders in 2018 against the Melbourne Storm.
- Represented Turkey in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup European qualification tournaments.
- Played over 50 first-grade NRL matches across his career with the Raiders and Dragons.
- Named in the Turkish national team squad for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.
Did You Know?
He played his junior rugby league for the Chester Hill Hornets in Sydney.
His brother, Dean, is also a professional rugby league player.
He was part of the Canterbury Bulldogs' NYC (Under-20s) team before joining the Raiders.
“You have to earn the right to play for your heritage; the jersey is not a gift.”
