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Michael David O'Connor is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union footballer who represented Australia in both codes. He played for the Wallabies in 13 Tests from 1979 to 1982 and then the Kangaroos in 17 Tests from 1985 to 1990. O'Connor played club football in the NSWRL Premiership for the St. George Dragons from 1983 until 1986, and later the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles from 1987 until his retirement at the end of 1992, becoming captain of Manly in 1990, as well as winning the 1987 Winfield Cup with the Sea Eagles.
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The 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain was made by a group of New Zealand rugby footballers who played matches in Australia, Ceylon, England and Wales between 1907 and 1908. Most of the matches were played under the rules of the Northern Union, a sport that is today known as rugby league. As such, the team were the immediate predecessors of the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour had a large role in establishing rugby league in both Australia and New Zealand, and also gave birth to international rugby league. The tour party has come to be known as the professional All Blacks or All Golds, although at the time they were commonly referred to as the All Blacks—a named popularised by the New Zealand rugby union team that toured the Northern Hemisphere in 1905.
Rugby union has a long history in Australia, with the first club being formed in 1863 at Sydney University. Today it holds tier one status with World Rugby and has over 82,000 players nationwide.
Gregory Victor Davis was a New Zealand born, national representative rugby union player for Australia. He played at flanker and made seven international tours with Wallaby squads. He was the Australian national captain in 47 matches from 1969 to 1972 and led the Wallaby side on three overseas tours.
Bailey George Simonsson is a New Zealand Māori international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or centre for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League (NRL).
References
- 1 2 3 Knight, Lindsay. "Paul SImonsson". New Zealand Rugby Museum. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ↑ "Paul Simonsson". Rugby League Project. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ↑ "Sydney presenters" (PDF). Australian Rugby. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ↑ Le Grand, Chip (7 August 2013). "ASADA's hint that Bombers are safe". The Australian. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
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