1961 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand

Last updated
1961 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
Manager Jack Kessey
G.W. (Jock) Allen
Coach(es) Brian Carlson
Tour captain(s) Brian Carlson
Barry Muir
Top point scorer(s) Don Parish 58
Top try scorer(s) Ken Irvine 10
Top test point scorer(s) Don Parish 11
Top test try scorer(s)6 tries by 6 players (4 Aus, 2 NZ)
Summary
PWDL
Total
9702
Test match
2101
Opponent
PWDL
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
2 1 0 1
Tour chronology
Previous tour 1953 by Australian colours.svg to New Zealand Kiwis colours.svg
1959 by New Zealand Kiwis colours.svg to Australian colours.svg
1959-60 to Flag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of France.svg
1960 by Flag of France.svg
Next tour 1962 by Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
1963 by New Zealand Kiwis colours.svg to Australian colours.svg
1963-64 to Flag of the United Kingdom.svgFlag of France.svg
1965 by Australian colours.svg to New Zealand Kiwis colours.svg

The 1961 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played nine matches on tour, including two tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 17 June and finished on 10 July. [1]

Contents

Leadership

Brian Carlson was both the captain and the coach of the touring side. Carlson did not play in the Second Test and tour vice-captain Barry Muir led Australia in that match.
In the two matches in which neither Carlson nor Muir played, the Kangaroos were captained by Reg Gasnier (against Taranaki) and Ian Walsh (against Auckland).
The team was managed by Jack Kessey of Newtown, New South Wales and G.W. (Jock) Allen of Toowooomba, Queensland. [2]

Touring squad

The Rugby League News published

Match details - listing surnames of both teams and the point scorers - were included in E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook, as was a summary of the players' point-scoring. [5]
Beattie, Day, Gehrke, Gil, Muir, Paterson and Rasmussen were selected from Queensland clubs. Beaven, Crowe and Owen were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney based clubs during the 1961 season.

PlayerPositionAgeWeight
st.lb (kg)
ClubTests
on
Tour
GamesTriesGoals FG Points
Dud Beattie Prop 2514.12 (94) Parramatta colours.svg Ipswich Railways170000
Ray Beavan Five-eighth 2411.2 (71) New South Wales colours.svg Tumut040000
Brian Carlson Utility Back2814.4 (91) St. George colours.svg St George 130306
Ron Crowe Prop 2714.12 (94) North Sydney colours.svg West Wyalong271105
Ken Day Lock 2515.0 (95) Wests Panthers Colours.svg Brisbane Western Suburbs 010000
Frank Drake Fullback 2211.6 (73) Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 1790027
Reg Gasnier Centre 2212.8 (80) St. George colours.svg St George 2660018
Bob Gehrke Hooker 2311.7 (73) Valleys colours.svg Brisbane Valleys 052006
Alan Gil Centre 2212.4 (78) Faxcolours.svg Toowoomba All Whites061003
Ken Irvine Wing 2112.4 (78) North Sydney colours.svg North Sydney 28101032
Eddie Lumsden Wing 2413.9 (87) St. George colours.svg St George 2860018
Ron Lynch Second-row 2113.10 (87) Parramatta colours.svg Parramatta 260000
Barry Muir Halfback 2310.11 (68) Wests Panthers Colours.svg Brisbane Western Suburbs 2742016
Bill Owen Second-row 2513.7 (86) New South Wales colours.svg Newcastle Northern Suburbs061003
Don Parish Utility Back2312.0 (76) Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 27423058
Jim Paterson Second-row 2514.10 (93) Canberra colours.svg Innisfail262006
Elton Rasmussen Prop, Second-row 2315.4 (97) Faxcolours.svg Toowoomba All Whites270102
Jack Sinclair Lock 2413.4 (84) Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Manly-Warringah 153009
Arthur Summons Halfback 2511.0 (70) Western Suburbs colours.svg Western Suburbs 261003
Ian Walsh Hooker 2713.6 (85) St. George colours.svg St George 251003

Tour

The Australians played nine matches on the tour, winning seven matches and losing the last two.


Saturday 17 June
Māori  Tino Rangatiratanga Maori sovereignty movement flag.svg13 – 25 Australian colours.svg Australia
[6]

Wednesday 21 June
Wellington Wellington colours.svg 3 – 66 Australian colours.svg Australia
[7]
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Attendance: 707

Friday 23 June
National Coaching School4 – 9 Australian colours.svg Australia
[8]
Rugby League Park, Christchurch
Attendance: 2,793

Saturday 24 June
West Coast Saintscolours.svg 7 – 27 Australian colours.svg Australia
[9]
Wingham Park, Greymouth
Attendance: 1,682

Tuesday 27 June
Taranaki Sunshine Coast Colours.svg 0 – 34 Australian colours.svg Australia
[10]
Burnside Showgrounds, Hāwera
Attendance: 600

First test

Saturday 1 July
New Zealand  Flag of New Zealand.svg12 – 10Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Tries:
Maunga Emery
Graeme Farrar
Goals:
Reg Cooke (2/2)
Field Goals
Gary Phillips
[11]
Tries:
Ken Irvine
Don Parish
Goals:
Don Parish (2/2)
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 11,485
Referee: Roland Avery Flag of New Zealand.svg
Kit left arm whiteborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body kiwis1950.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm whiteborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks white hoops.png
Kit socks long.svg
New Zealand
Kit left arm kangaroos.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body kangaroos54.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm kangaroos.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks hoops gold.png
Kit socks long.svg
Australia
FB1 Gary Phillips
RW2 Brian Reidy
RC3 George H. Turner
LC4 Tom Hadfield
LW5 Reg Cooke
FE6 George Menzies
HB7 Graeme Farrar
PR8 Jim Patterson
HK9 Jock Butterfield
PR10 Maunga Emery
SR11 Don Hammond
SR12 Ron Ackland (c)
LF13 Mel Cooke
Coach:
Flag of New Zealand.svg Des White
FB1 Don Parish
RW2 Ken Irvine
RC3 Reg Gasnier
LC4 Brian Carlson (c)
LW5 Eddie Lumsden
FE6 Arthur Summons
HB7 Barry Muir
PR8 Elton Rasmussen
HK9 Ian Walsh
PR10 Ron Crowe
SR11 Jim Paterson
SR12 Ron Lynch
LF13 Jack Sinclair
Coach:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Carlson

Wednesday 5 July
Waikato Waikatoleague.png 8 – 26 Australian colours.svg Australia
[12]
Steele Park, Hamilton
Attendance: 886

Second test

Saturday 8 July
New Zealand  Flag of New Zealand.svg8 – 10Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Tries:

Goals:
Reg Cooke (3/3)
Gary Phillips (1/1)
[13]
Tries:
Reg Gasnier (2)
Arthur Summons
Goals:
Don Parish (2/2)
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 12,424
Referee: Roland Avery Flag of New Zealand.svg
Kit left arm whiteborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body kiwis1950.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm whiteborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks white hoops.png
Kit socks long.svg
New Zealand
Kit left arm kangaroos.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body kangaroos54.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm kangaroos.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks hoops gold.png
Kit socks long.svg
Australia
FB1 Gary Phillips
RW2 Brian Reidy
RC3 George H. Turner
LC4 Tom Hadfield
LW5 Reg Cooke
FE6 George Menzies
HB7 Bill Snowden
PR8 Jim Patterson
HK9 Tom Reid
PR10 Maunga Emery
SR11 Don Hammond
SR12 Ron Ackland (c)
LF13 Mel Cooke
Coach:
Flag of New Zealand.svg Des White
FB1 Frank Drake
RW2 Ken Irvine
RC3 Don Parish
LC4 Reg Gasnier
LW5 Eddie Lumsden
FE6 Arthur Summons
HB7 Barry Muir (c)
PR8 Ron Crowe
HK9 Ian Walsh
PR10 Dud Beattie
SR11 Elton Rasmussen
SR12 Jim Paterson
LF13 Ron Lynch
Coach:
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brian Carlson

Monday 10 July
Auckland Canterbury colours.svg 13 – 8 Australian colours.svg Australia
[14]
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Attendance: 5,148

References

  1. "Kangaroos Tour 1961 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  2. New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "Popular Pair As Managers To N.Z." The Rugby League News. 42 (11 (12 June 1961)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-757061231. Retrieved 17 Jan 2021 via Trove.
  3. New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "Australia's Team For New Zealand". The Rugby League News. 42 (12 (17 June 1961)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-757066769. Retrieved 17 Jan 2021 via Trove.
  4. New South Wales Rugby Football League. (1920). "Aust. Team's Record in N.Z." The Rugby League News. 42 (16 (15 July 1961)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. nla.obj-758558770. Retrieved 17 Jan 2021 via Trove.
  5. E.E.Christensen (1962). "Players' Records in N.Z.". E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook. 16. Sydney: E.E.Christensen.
  6. 1961 NZ Maori vs Australia – Rugby League Project
  7. 1961 Wellington vs Australia – Rugby League Project
  8. 1961 Coaching School (NZ) vs Australia – Rugby League Project
  9. 1961 West Coast vs Australia – Rugby League Project
  10. 1961 Taranaki vs Australia – Rugby League Project
  11. 1961 New Zealand vs Australia – Rugby League Project
  12. 1961 Waikato vs Australia – Rugby League Project
  13. 1961 New Zealand vs Australia – Rugby League Project
  14. 1961 Auckland vs Australia – Rugby League Project