1954 Rugby League World Cup squads

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The 1954 Rugby League World Cup featured the national teams (selected from eighteen-man squads) of four nations.

Contents

Statistics

Match details - listing surnames of each team and the point scorers - were included in E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook, as was a summary of the players' point-scoring. [1] This information is reflected in the Rugby League Project website.

Australia

For Australian players, the World Cup tournament took place in 1954's post-season. Their coach was Vic Hey [2] The team was managed by Spencer O'Neill of Parramatta, NSW and Jack McMahon of Queensland. [3]

The Rugby League News published details of the touring team including each player's age and weight. [4]

Banks, Davies, Flannery, Hall, McCaffery, O'Shea and Watson were selected from Queensland clubs. Pidding was selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. This lineup of the squad played for Sydney-based clubs during the 1954 season.

PlayerPositionAgeWeight
st.lb (kg)		ClubGamesTriesGoals FG Points
Bob Banks Five-eighth 2312.10 (81) Newtown colours.svg Toowoomba Newtown20000
Roy Bull Prop 2514.7 (92) Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 31003
Clive Churchill Fullback 2711.7 (73) South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 30000
Harold Crocker Second-row 2515.0 (95) Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 20000
Brian Davies Prop, Second-row 2314.12 (94) Newcastle colours.svg Booval Swifts30000
Peter Diversi Lock 2214.4 (91) North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 31003
Denis Flannery Wing 2513.8 (86) Brothers Colours.svg Ipswich Brothers20000
Duncan Hall Prop 2814.12 (94) Wests Panthers Colours.svg Brisbane Western Suburbs 10000
Greg Hawick Utility Back2213.5 (85) South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 21003
Keith Holman Halfback 2711.9 (74) Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 20000
Ken Kearney Hooker 2813.9 (87) St. George colours.svg St George 32006
Ken McCaffery Five-eighth 2413.0 (83) Balmain colours.svg Toowoomba Souths10000
Ian Moir Wing 2211.4 (72) South Sydney colours.svg South Sydney 10000
Kel O'Shea Second-row 2115.1 (96)Ayr22006
Noel Pidding Wing 2712.0 (76) Western Suburbs colours.svg Maitland 307014
Norm Provan Second-row 2215.1 (96) St. George colours.svg St George 10000
Alex Watson Centre 2213.4 (84) Wests Panthers Colours.svg Brisbane Western Suburbs 33009
Harry Wells Centre 2214.2 (90) St. George colours.svg Wollongong22006

New Zealand

The Rugby League News published details of the Kiwi touring team including each player's provincial team, weight, height, ageand occupation. [5]

PlayerPositionAgeWeight
st.lb (kg)		ProvinceGamesTriesGoals FG Points
Doug Anderson Fullback 2712. 1 (77) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 10000
Alister Atkinson Lock 2812. 10 (81) North Sydney colours.svg Canterbury 30000
Jim Austin Wing, Centre 2412. 2 (77) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 20000
Lory Blanchard Hooker 3014. 3 (90) North Sydney colours.svg Canterbury 30000
John Bond Prop, Second-row 2214. 7 (92) North Sydney colours.svg Canterbury 20204
Jock Butterfield Second-row 2214. 0 (89) North Sydney colours.svg Canterbury 20000
Neville Denton Fullback 2012. 0 (76) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 10000
Cyril Eastlake (c) Wing, Centre 2411. 9 (74) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 31003
Jimmy Edwards Wing 2712. 0 (76) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 31003
Len Eriksen Halfback 2710. 0 (64) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 31003
Ian Grey Fullback 2312. 7 (79) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 10000
Cliff Johnson Prop 2514. 3 (90) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 20000
George McDonald Second-row 2013. 10 (87) Waikatoleague.png South Auckland 10000
Ron McKay Centre 2212. 9 (80) Sunshine Coast Colours.svg Taranaki 319021
Bill McLennan Prop 2615. 10 (100) Saintscolours.svg West Coast 30000
George Menzies Wing 2311. 4 (72) Saintscolours.svg West Coast 10000
Bill Sorensen Five-eighth 2213. 4 (84) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 30000
John Yates Second-row 2414. 11 (94) Canterbury colours.svg Auckland 20000

Great Britain

For British players, the World Cup tournament took place during the 1954–55 Northern Rugby Football League season. Their coach was Mr Gideon Shaw.
The Rugby League News published the selected British touring team. [6] The following seven players listed in this article did not play a match in the tournament: Billy Boston (Wigan), Willie Horne (Barrow), Geoff Gunney (Hunslet), W. Banks, Ron Rylance (Huddersfield), Alvin Ackerley (Halifax) and Johnny Whiteley (Hull).
English representative Phil Jackson was born in Canada. David Rose and captain Dave Valentine were representatives from Scotland, and John Thorley from Wales.

PlayerPositionClubGamesTriesGoals FG Points
Flag of England.svg Gordon Brown Five-eighth Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds 460018
Flag of England.svg Bob Coverdale Prop Hullcolours.svg Hull 40000
Flag of England.svg Gerry Helme Halfback Wolvescolours.svg Warrington 42006
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Phil Jackson Centre Barrowcolours.svg Barrow 43009
Flag of England.svg Frank Kitchen Wing Leigh colours.svg Leigh 23009
Flag of England.svg Jimmy Ledgard Fullback Leigh colours.svg Leigh 4113029
Flag of England.svg Albert Naughton Centre Wolvescolours.svg Warrington 20000
Flag of England.svg Don Robinson Second-row Wcatscolours.svg Wakefield Trinity 40000
Flag of Scotland.svg David Rose Wing Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds 440012
Flag of England.svg Sam Smith Hooker Hunsletcolours.svg Hunslet 40000
Flag of England.svg Mick Sullivan Wing Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield 40000
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg John Thorley Prop Faxcolours.svg Halifax 40000
Flag of Scotland.svg Dave Valentine (c) Lock Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield 40000
Flag of England.svg Basil Watts Second-row YorkRLFCcolours.png York 40000

France

Coaches: Jean Duhau and René Duffort The French squad was: [7]

PlayerPositionAgeClubGamesTriesGoals FG Points
Jean Audoubert Hooker 30 LyonRLcolours.PNG Lyon Villeurbanne 41003
Gilbert Benausse Five-eighth, Halfback 22 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne 20000
Vincent Cantoni Wing 27 ToulouseRLcolours.png Toulouse Olympique 42006
André Carrère Prop 30 VilleneuveRLcolours.PNG Villeneuve XIII RLLG 00000
Raymond Contrastin Wing 29 No image.svg Bordeaux XIII  [ fr ]450015
Joseph Crespo Halfback 29 LyonRLcolours.PNG Lyon Villeurbanne 41003
Guy Delaye Second-row 25 Soavignoncolours.png Sporting Olympique Avignon 31003
Roger Guilhem Lock 28 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne 10000
Antoine Jimenez Five-eighth, Centre 25 VilleneuveRLcolours.PNG Villeneuve XIII RLLG 40000
Joseph Krawzyck Prop - LyonRLcolours.PNG Lyon Villeurbanne 41003
Jacques Merquey Centre 25 Soavignoncolours.png Sporting Olympique Avignon 41003
Jean Pambrun Second-row 24 No image.svg Marseille XIII 40000
Puig Aubert Fullback 29 Catalanscolours.svg XIII Catalan 4013026
François Rinaldi Prop - No image.svg Marseille XIII 40000
Armand Save Second-row 23 No image.svg Bordeaux XIII  [ fr ]10000
Claude Teisseire Five-eighth, Centre 23 CarcassonneRLcolours.PNG AS Carcassonne 30000
Gilbert Verdié Lock 26 AlbiRLcolours.svg Racing Club Albi XIII 20000
Maurice Voron Wing - LyonRLcolours.PNG Lyon Villeurbanne 00000

Note: The Rugby League Project has Roger Guilhem playing one match and Gilbert Verdié two, whilst EE Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook has Roger Guilhem playing two matches (the round matches against Great Britain and Australia) and Gilbert Verdié playing one match (the Final against Great Britain).

References

  1. ↑ E.E.Christensen (1954). "World Cup". E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook. 8. Sydney: E.E.Christensen.
  2. ↑ AAP (24 October 1954). "R.L. Cup team fit but tired". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. p. 8. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
  3. ↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "Cup Tour Manager Has Given Service To League". The Rugby League News. 35 (23 (31 July 1954)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-642592258. Retrieved 18 Jan 2021– via Trove.
  4. ↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "Australians For France". The Rugby League News. 35 (32 (1 October 1951)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-642649963. Retrieved 18 Jan 2021– via Trove.
  5. ↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "New Faces In Kiwi Tourists". The Rugby League News. 35 (32 (1 October 1951)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-642649847. Retrieved 18 Jan 2021– via Trove.
  6. ↑ New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "British Team For France". The Rugby League News. 35 (32 (1 October 1951)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-642650989. Retrieved 18 Jan 2021– via Trove.
  7. ↑ "World Cup 1954 - Squads - Rugby League Project".
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